Nestled at L and Eighth streets in Sacramento , Frank Fat ’ s became a gathering spot for lawmakers who made deals on restaurant napkins around issues like health care , tort reform and redistricting . Whatever was going on , Frank presided as a discreet , friendly and fair restaurant owner .
Every California governor since 1939 has come to Frank Fat ’ s , Jerry says . Frank was friends with former Gov . Earl Warren during his administration , later sharing a drink with him in his judicial chambers in Washington , D . C ., after he became chief justice of the U . S Supreme Court . Ronald Reagan brought heavy security when he visited during his years as governor . Jerry Brown liked to hang around the restaurant as a young , single governor , bringing his girlfriend , singer Linda Ronstadt , once or twice . Brown particularly enjoyed being treated to the end of the evening informal meal that restaurant staff would prepare for each other . “ It wasn ’ t the traditional menu items ,” Jerry Fat says . “ It ’ d be more home cooking , so to speak .”
Frank Fat ’ s thrived almost immediately , with census records from 1940 showing Frank earning $ 1,800 for that year , about twice the median per capita income for Americans in the waning days of the Great Depression . It allowed Frank to provide a good life for his wife and children .
“ Out of the six children , over the years , all of them worked for the restaurant , but my grandfather wanted them all to get a degree ,” Kevin says . “ Since he didn ’ t have a high school ( diploma ) and he didn ’ t go to college , he wanted them to be educated .”
This can be a risk for family businesses , in that it sends potential future generations off to other industries and career dreams . Rivinius notes just 30 percent of family businesses make it to the second generation , 15 percent to the third and a scant 4 percent to the fourth .
“ People start out , and they want to be a family business ,” Rivinius says .
“ Sometimes , something happens . There are no children , the children don ’ t want to be in the family business , they don ’ t have the fire in the belly that mom and dad had , or the dad ( or mom ) does well enough to send them to medical school or dental school .”
Kevin ’ s aunts and uncles became a mix of attorneys , dentists , marketers and other professionals . But the family stayed close to the business , and in time , some of Frank ’ s children would take the torch from him .
Through the generations
Steve Wallace also got an early start with his family business , Woodlandbased Wallace Safe & Lock Co ., which his grandfather , OB Wallace , started after serving as a machinist at Mare Island during World War II . “ Cleaning the shop . Cleaning the key machine ,” Steve , 58 , says of his earliest memories . “ Going out on jobs with my dad . I started that probably when I was about 8 .”
Steve has only held one other job , working full-time in a grocery store produce department briefly in his late teens . He officially took over about a decade ago from his father , David Wallace , who still comes into the office daily . Steve doesn ’ t know when he ’ ll hand the reins to son Derick Wallace , 31 , a locksmith who ’ s worked for the business for 16 years .
Like many businesses , the coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for Wallace Safe & Lock , with residential work dropping off , since many people don ’ t want anyone in their homes . The company has been perhaps saved somewhat because it transitioned more of its business to commercial work over the years . There haven ’ t been layoffs , but the company reduced hours of operations , closing at 4 p . m .
Already , Steve has seen changes over the years , with his father belonging to a bygone era where people repaired whatever they could . “ I think it ’ s a dying business , actually ,” Steve says . “ All the big stores sell everything we sell except service .”
Brian Bendix faces similar circumstances . Brian , the owner of a Sacramento-based American Stripping Co . franchise that removes paint from old cars and other items , started the business with his parents in 1984 to help give his father , a career military man and state worker , a bridge to retirement . The arrangement also worked for Brian , a competitive Jet Ski rider who could take a few months off from work each summer to pursue his passion .
During more than 35 years , the company has weathered a series of downturns , most notably the Great Recession of 2008 . Other relatives have stayed on through much of this time , such as Brian ’ s sister-in-law , Denise Huff , who celebrated 23 years with the company in August .
But about two years ago , Brian learned that his landlord could get three times as much money leasing to a cannabis-related business , so American Stripping was forced to relocate roughly a year ago . “ Both of my kids are very interested in carrying on the business ,” Brian says . “ So we pretty much pulled everything we could and then some together and made the move happen .”
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