Morins 100th Anniversary

Serving up history

"Russ" Morin, left, and Steve Gorelzenko serve up lunch at Morin's Diner in this photo taken in the 1950s. (Morin's photo)

BY GEORGE RHODES SUN CHRONICLE STAFF ATTLEBORO - Back in 1914, when workers lowered their lunch pails to the Franklin Cafe from the windows of a factory next door, the owner of the diner, John "J.B." Morin, saw an opportunity to grow his 3-year-old business.

J.B., as he was known, had opened the 24-seat Attleboro diner in 1911, but when he filled the pails that filled the blue-collar bellies of mill workers, he put his little food business on two burners: the restaurant business and - as it were - the catering business.

And now, 100 years later, neither operation resembles those first moments, but both are thriving and both are big-name businesses in Attleboro, run by a third generation of Morins, with a fourth generation working in the wings and ready to take over when the day comes.

The stunning success of the Morin restaurant and catering businesses, which will be celebrated at a party on May 4, is evident in statistics that show a mere 10 percent of family businesses make it to the third generation, and minuscule 3 percent go beyond that.

Survival is a great achievement, but to grow and blossom into operations that are among the best in the business is a near miracle.

It takes constant effort to see opportunity, innovate and to overcome internal differences that sometimes break up family businesses, experts say.

All those things have helped the Morins overcome the odds and continue to serve up food for everyone from factory workers to factory owners - for a century.

But the driving force, the main ingredient if you will, is love, said brothers Russell, 65, and Billy Morin,

64, J.B.'s grandsons, who run the two aspects of the family business today.

"You can't be in this business if you don't have passion," said Russell Morin Jr., head of Russell Morin Fine Catering, the latest incarnation of the business J.B. started with lunch pails at his little diner on the north side of Mill Street, just east of the railroad tracks.

"It's seven days a week, and it's always on your mind," he said.

A second key ingredient is the fact that the family business is actually two businesses.

There's the restaurant business, and there's the catering business.

The separation is insulation from disagreements that can afflict even the most harmonious of family operations from time to time.

Russell does the catering, and Billy runs the restaurant.

"Bill's got his thing and I've got mine," Russell said, in explaining how both businesses survive and thrive.

Both said the 300 hard-working, dedicated employees Morin's employs, are a crucial third ingredient.

And both say they don't settle for the status quo and demand excellence from themselves and their employees.

In fact, it's written right into their company credo.

"We are motivated to be the best," it says.

While Russell travels to his customers, Billy's come to him on South Main Street in Attleboro - the diner's landmark home since 1930.

The eatery flourished in flush times, when downtown was crowded "like the streets of New York," Billy said.

And it's ridden out the rough times, when factories and their multitude of workers moved out and the mega malls and smaller versions moved in - decimating downtown and the diner's customer base.

Downtown went on a starvation diet while the malls grew fat.

As tough as it's been, the diner serves on.

It's expanded twice over the years, gobbling up a laundry and shoe store during the 1970s.

The first addition added a dining room to make it more like a restaurant. The second addition created a lounge and new focus on serving beverages - especially alcohol.

The latest upgrade is an outdoor patio, where patrons can enjoy a drink and city sounds on warm summer nights.

The late Russell Morin Sr., Russell Jr.'s and Billy's dad, might not have approved of the drinking part. He

had a superstitious streak, his sons said.

Russell Sr. was sure alcohol was bad luck for diners, but alcohol came in because it had to come in - it was crucial to the bottom line.

Billy said his son, John Morin, 30, is bringing a new focus to the beverage end of the business, initiating the 100-ounce beer tower. It's a self-serve device for parties of three or four and is popular.

It probably would have left a bad taste in mouth of Russell Sr., but it's all part of the business now.

"It started in California, and now it's the rage," Billy said. "Times have changed."

And a decision to cater small events in-house like, showers, funerals and business dinners, has helped his operation stay strong.

"We've evolved quite a bit," he said.

Then there was the diner's 2009 appearance on The Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives."

It took the local landmark national.

Billy still shakes his head in disbelief at the result. The show brought in people from all over, and many wanted souvenirs.

"I've never signed so many T-shirts," he said. "We've had people in here from Alaska and Hawaii."

That the show was a great boon to the diner is clear, but it's harder to see how two new restaurants poised to open around the corner on Park Street is a good thing for the diner, but Billy sees even that as plus.

"Every light on downtown helps," he said. "I don't worry about competition. I worry about myself, and if I'm doing things the right way."

Doing things the right way has certainly helped his brother become an award-winning caterer in the region.

His dad, Russell Sr., is credited with expanding the catering operation after he got back from World War II, and for years most of the jobs were local.

But as businesses and related catering jobs moved out of town, the Morins followed, moving into the Providence, Newport and Connecticut markets. To grow, Morin's had to go.

"That's where we do our business now," Russell said. "Any place we go, we travel at least an hour to get there. I never thought I'd be in Connecticut."

Not only has the catering business moved out, it's moved up.

Morin's list of corporate clients is impressive and includes companies like Tiffany, Verizon, Toyota and National Grid.

The company's venues are equally impressive.

A business that started serving through factory windows now operates at some of the most exclusive sites in the area, such as the Newport mansions, where it's just one of three caterers permitted into the priceless architectural treasures from the Guilded Age. This year, Russell Morin Fine Catering will serve up its best at the Newport Jazz Festival and The Newport Flower show, as well as events at the Tennis Hall of Fame on Bellevue Avenue.

Like Billy, Russell has a son following in his footsteps, Michael, 29, who has ideas about how to take the business into the future.

For example, a name change is under consideration, something more modern that suggests the broad range of services the company provides, Russell said.

Meanwhile, love is a mainstay. Morin caters well over 200 weddings a year, he said.

And then there are picnics, cocktail parties and corporate events, all of which combine to make the company the biggest caterer in New England, according to its press release.

As with other industries, 2009 - the year after the stock market crash - was a bad year for his company, Russell said.

There were fewer parties and brides wanted smaller weddings, but the appetite for festivities soon returned, with relish.

The next year was a good year, Russell said.

"And 2011 looks like it's going to be good, too," he said.

So it must be for any 100-year-old company.

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• | ©2011 The Sun Chronicle • |