For over 40 years, restaurateur Ray Morris
\nserved home-style meals in the relaxed Victorian
\nsetting of Lillian’s Restaurant on Broadway
\nin downtown Saratoga Springs.<\/p>\n
After four decades, Morris will leave the
\ndemands of restaurant ownership and start a
\nnew chapter in life beginning in 2016.<\/p>\n
He said someone approached him to buy the
\n60-year-old, multi-story building.<\/p>\n
“I have decided to sell 408 Broadway and will
\nbe closing Lillian’s doors at the end of the year
\nafter a New Year’s Eve farewell,” Morris said in
\na statement issued in November.<\/p>\n
\nMorris said he had mulled over the idea of
\nselling the building at some point, when the offer
\npresented itself. It was not an easy decision
\nto make, "but opportunities like this don't come
\nalong every day."<\/p>\n
The new owner of Lillian's has not been
\ndisclosed.<\/p>\n
Once the sale was confirmed, Morris said he
\nspoke with each of his employees and promised
\nto help them with future endeavors. He also
\ncontacted customers who had booked events in
\n2016 to inform them of the news, and to suggest
\nalternative venues for their events.<\/p>\n
Lillian's Restaurant has hosted the Saratoga
\nSprings Lions Club's weekly meetings for many
\nyears, so he informed them that they would need
\na new meeting venue for 2016.<\/p>\n
Morris opened Lillian's in January of 1974,
\nnaming it after Lillian Russell, an opera singer
\nwho spent summers in Saratoga in the late
\n1800s. Lillian's has remained steadfast as
\ndowntown struggled to survive economic ups
\nand downs.<\/p>\n
Morris was a founding member of the
\nSaratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau. He
\nserved on its board, as well as the board of the
\ndowntown Special Assessment District. He has
\nalso been a longtime member of the Saratoga
\nCounty Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown
\nBusiness Association.<\/p>\n
He said these business groups have made
\nSaratoga a vibrant small town attractive to
\ntourists, event planners and families looking to
\nrelocate. Their efforts have played a major role
\nin the city's many national awards including the
\n"Great American Main Street" and "Best New
\nYork State Destination".<\/p>\n
Morris said he takes pride in the mark he has
\nmade on the city and the hundreds of young
\npeople who worked their way through school
\nat Lillian's.<\/p>\n
"It brings me great joy to see so many of my
\n15-year-old bussers get a degree to become
\na doctor, lawyer or start their own business,"
\nhe said. "I am often stopped on the street by
\ncustomers who say that Lillian's is where they
\nproposed to their wife, dined with their prom
\ndate or celebrated all of their special family
\noccasions."<\/p>\n
He said watching Lillian's close will be difficult,
\n"but a wonderful new chapter" will open
\nfor he and his family.<\/p>\n
Lillian's will continue to redeem gift certificates
\nand accept reservations for holiday parties
\nas they prepare to close their doors. Party and
\ndinner reservations may be made by calling
\n587-7766.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For over 40 years, restaurateur Ray Morris served home-style meals in the relaxed Victorian setting of Lillian's Restaurant on Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs. After four decades, Morris will leave the demands of restaurant ownership and start a new…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[57,115],"class_list":["post-18413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news","tag-business-news","tag-saratoga-springs"],"yoast_head":"\r\n