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Charlie Vergos, founder of the iconic Downtown Memphis barbecue restaurant that bears his name, died this morning.
The 84-year-old Vergos passed away in his sleep with his family nearby, said Patrick Donohue, manager of Charles Vergos' Rendezvous.
Charlie Vergos Remembered
* Charlie Vergos sprinkles some dry rub seasoning of some of the Rendezous' famous ribs in June, 1983. The founder of the iconic Downtown Memphis barbecue restaurant that bears his name, died Saturday, March 27, 2010.
* Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous is loved by locals as well as distinguished guests. The Rendezvous became something of a required stop for visiting dignitaries. Over the years, it has served 'presidents, prime ministers, royalty, rock stars and movie stars,' said son John Vergos.
* 1n 1980, Rendevous Restaurant owner Charles Vergos (left) swapped the Candy Factory building on the southeast corner of Wagner and Linden for an $80,000 Andrew Wyeth painting. Broker Robert Sanderson helped carry the art. Built in 1907, the building initially housed the Shelby Candy and Coffee Co. Candy was made there until 1922, when it became Wagner Street Grocery. In 1990, the Candy Factory building, by then owned by Developer Henry Turley Jr., was rehabilitated and converted to residential condominiums, with commercial uses on the street level.
* Charlie Vergos, owner of the Rendezvous, checks progress on the upstairs addition to the famous basement in September, 1991. Due to open a few weeks later, the area provided seating for 250-300 patrons. The decor is like that of an oldtime riverboat.
* Memphis barbecue legend Charlie Vergos poses for a portrait at The Rendezvous in April 1999. The son of Greek immigrants, Vergos founded a tavern and sandwich shop in 1948 in the November 6 Alley. Two decades later, he moved the establishment to its present location, in a basement off an alley behind Second Street, where it became nationally renowned for barbecue, especially ribs.
"We're all very sad here today...," Donohue said. "He's done so much for this community. Memphis has a huge void to fill."
Vergos had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, said his son, Nick Vergos.
"He was an incredibly strong and strong-willed person," Nick Vergos said of his father.
The son of Greek immigrants, Vergos founded a tavern and sandwich shop in 1948 in the November 6 Alley. Two decades later, he moved the establishment to its present location, in a basement off an alley behind Second Street, where it became nationally renowned for barbecue, especially ribs.
The Rendezvous became something of a required stop for visiting dignitaries. Over the years, it has served "presidents, prime ministers, royalty, rock stars and movie stars," said John Vergos, another son.
The restaurant helped transform barbecue from "a little thing you did in your backyard...into an epicurean staple," Nick Vergos said.
The restaurant currently is co-owned by Vergos' three children: John, Nick and Tina Jennings.
Earlier this year, it was designated one of 50 All-American Icons by Nation's Restaurant News magazine.
Aside from his prominence as a restaurateur, Vergos was a major force in the resurgence of Downtown in the decades following the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, John Vergos said. He not only refused to relocate to the suburbs, but was an original organizer and investor in one of Downtown's first condominium projects, in the Cotton Building on 41 Union.
"When others gave up on Downtown, he stood firm," his son said. "He had this innate sense of knowing Downtown would come back."
Vergos was a World War II Army veteran who fought in the European theater and later was transferred to the Philippines in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan when the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war.
Funeral arrangements have not been made yet, but the family requests memorials be sent to either the Annunication Greek Orthodox Church or the Page-Robbins Adult Day Care Center.
The 84-year-old Vergos passed away in his sleep with his family nearby, said Patrick Donohue, manager of Charles Vergos' Rendezvous.
Charlie Vergos Remembered
* Charlie Vergos sprinkles some dry rub seasoning of some of the Rendezous' famous ribs in June, 1983. The founder of the iconic Downtown Memphis barbecue restaurant that bears his name, died Saturday, March 27, 2010.
* Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous is loved by locals as well as distinguished guests. The Rendezvous became something of a required stop for visiting dignitaries. Over the years, it has served 'presidents, prime ministers, royalty, rock stars and movie stars,' said son John Vergos.
* 1n 1980, Rendevous Restaurant owner Charles Vergos (left) swapped the Candy Factory building on the southeast corner of Wagner and Linden for an $80,000 Andrew Wyeth painting. Broker Robert Sanderson helped carry the art. Built in 1907, the building initially housed the Shelby Candy and Coffee Co. Candy was made there until 1922, when it became Wagner Street Grocery. In 1990, the Candy Factory building, by then owned by Developer Henry Turley Jr., was rehabilitated and converted to residential condominiums, with commercial uses on the street level.
* Charlie Vergos, owner of the Rendezvous, checks progress on the upstairs addition to the famous basement in September, 1991. Due to open a few weeks later, the area provided seating for 250-300 patrons. The decor is like that of an oldtime riverboat.
* Memphis barbecue legend Charlie Vergos poses for a portrait at The Rendezvous in April 1999. The son of Greek immigrants, Vergos founded a tavern and sandwich shop in 1948 in the November 6 Alley. Two decades later, he moved the establishment to its present location, in a basement off an alley behind Second Street, where it became nationally renowned for barbecue, especially ribs.
"We're all very sad here today...," Donohue said. "He's done so much for this community. Memphis has a huge void to fill."
Vergos had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, said his son, Nick Vergos.
"He was an incredibly strong and strong-willed person," Nick Vergos said of his father.
The son of Greek immigrants, Vergos founded a tavern and sandwich shop in 1948 in the November 6 Alley. Two decades later, he moved the establishment to its present location, in a basement off an alley behind Second Street, where it became nationally renowned for barbecue, especially ribs.
The Rendezvous became something of a required stop for visiting dignitaries. Over the years, it has served "presidents, prime ministers, royalty, rock stars and movie stars," said John Vergos, another son.
The restaurant helped transform barbecue from "a little thing you did in your backyard...into an epicurean staple," Nick Vergos said.
The restaurant currently is co-owned by Vergos' three children: John, Nick and Tina Jennings.
Earlier this year, it was designated one of 50 All-American Icons by Nation's Restaurant News magazine.
Aside from his prominence as a restaurateur, Vergos was a major force in the resurgence of Downtown in the decades following the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, John Vergos said. He not only refused to relocate to the suburbs, but was an original organizer and investor in one of Downtown's first condominium projects, in the Cotton Building on 41 Union.
"When others gave up on Downtown, he stood firm," his son said. "He had this innate sense of knowing Downtown would come back."
Vergos was a World War II Army veteran who fought in the European theater and later was transferred to the Philippines in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan when the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war.
Funeral arrangements have not been made yet, but the family requests memorials be sent to either the Annunication Greek Orthodox Church or the Page-Robbins Adult Day Care Center.
