Ed Murph, of Norma’s Café fame, led an exemplary life. One of those “you’ll never forget him” people, Ed always had an incredible funny, and memorable story to tell.
My friend and client passed away on February 23. I miss him already.
Ed Murph’s Career Story
You may know Ed Murph for his success in our industry.
His career story came in three chapters. First, with the legendary Beggar and Bell Ringer clubs in the 70s. Next, with Café Cancun in the 80s, offering more authentic Mexican food to Anglo Dallas diners who had never seen a black bean before. And finally, at Norma’s Café, when he bought the original single unit from its founder in the 80s. He grew this Dallas icon to a multi-unit organization.
His success there saw Ed change his title from “restaurateur” to “cafetuer.”
The people around him knew him for kindness and caring – and for being someone who had the satisfaction of feeling he had everything he ever needed.
Lessons That Ed Taught
- Positive Attitude. From the time Ed received the first indications of his Lewey Body Dementia with Parkinsonism diagnosis, he and I had several conversations about what he experienced and what that meant to his life and the lives of the people around him. He never complained – not even one time. Instead, he pushed forward and made the best of what he could do.
- Support Your Community. When the National Restaurant Association started its state-by-state “Good Neighbor Awards,” it took the nominating committee about two seconds to realize that the first one in Texas should go to Ed and Norma’s. The most famous of Norma’s many events? Their annual Thanksgiving day meal, which takes a month of military-like operation to prepare. Over the years, Norma’s learned how to not only provide a free traditional Thanksgiving meal to an expanding audience (of anyone who showed up at the restaurant) but also to deliver the same meal to local organizations in their Oak Cliff community. As a result, every year, they have delighted thousands of people who would otherwise go without.
- Be a Good Friend. If you had a problem, needed some help, or felt stuck about what to do next, Ed would provide his advice and support. He gave it in complete confidence, never took credit, and never asked for anything in return. I can think of a long list of people who benefited from Ed’s assistance when they really needed it. That list contains my name.
- Know the Details. Ed built a fantastic business from the ground up. In the first event in our 30-year collaboration, he wanted to count peas, carrots, and green beans because he had a concern that the pricing policy for the menu items that contained Norma’s famous meat and three veg plates did not yield sufficient profit.
Ed and I continued to work together, until we completed an initiative to set up and guide a talented, experienced, and committed management team that could run the restaurants on a day-to-day basis when he could no longer do it himself.
The lessons he taught to everyone paying attention will live forever. Please send me your own great Ed Murph stories and I’ll make sure they get to his family.
Thank you, Ed Murph.
