John started Country Style Diner Restaurant on Park Lawn
Street fifteen years ago as a sandwich place. Every noon hour
the lineup would be out the door with famished clients eagerly
awaiting John's famous veal sandwiches. Country Style Diner
also catered to the businesses around their place - sending
sandwiches out through the backdoor. When the location in
the ING Center became available, John jumped at the opportunity.
He and all his staff moved to the concourse level of the ING
Center and set up shop. They decided to have a dining area
as well as a front counter takeout. Now not only did the loyal
clients from the Park Lawn location follow Country Style Diner
to its new location, but the store and condo tenants, the
movie crowd, and the office building staff from several surrounding
buildings made it their home. John expanded his premises a
few times and ensured his sandwich counter was the first to
be enlarged as the bulk of his sales come from that location.
He also provides catering to The City businesses and sometimes
hosts breakfast meetings. Fifteen years later, Country Style
Diner continues to thrive in the vibrant and highly competitive
ING Center area.
In November 1990, John recognized another opportunity; this
time to enter the highly competitive Little West-Side market.
With Club 1, John solidified his reputation as a visionary
in the restaurant industry. While numerous restaurants continue
to struggle, Club 1 proved highly successful in generating
a profit in its first months of operations (refer to addendum
8). In one exemplary review by Jennifer Grange of The City.com,
Club 1's outstanding food, service and ambiance were directly
attributed to John Smith's knowledge and stellar reputation
in the industry.
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