Burton “Skip” Sack ’61

“Burton M. “Skip” Sack ’61 is partner and chairman of Classic Restaurant Concepts. He serves on the board of the National Restaurant Association, of which he is a past chairman. Sack began his career in the restaurant industry at the age of 13 as a dishwasher for Howard Johnson’s. At 17 he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and rose to the rank of sergeant. Immediately upon his discharge three years later, he enrolled in Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. Following his graduation in 1961, Sack joined the Howard Johnson’s as an advertising assistant and soon became assistant director of marketing and vice president of public relations.

In 1984, Sack became the second franchisee of Applebee’s, acquiring the right to develop the New England territory. At the time, Applebee’s had only two restaurants. His first restaurant opened in 1986, and by 1994 he had 16 restaurants operating in four New England states that employed more than 1,300 people. That year he sold his restaurant operations to Applebee’s International and continued to work as executive vice president. He served as a member of its Board of Directors until 2007 when the company was sold.

Sack has privately invested in more than 50 startup companies and serves on the boards of Tibersoft Corporation, Tempra Technologies, Evolucia Lighting, and Cambryn Biologics. He is a founding member of the Marine Corps Heritage Museum, a member of the Board of Governors of the Marine Corps Association, and a trustee of the Marine Corps Association Foundation.

Sack is a former president of the Cornell Hotel Society. In 2011, he was recognized as Cornell Hotel Society Southeast Regional Hotelie of the Year. He has served as a member of the School of Hotel Administration Dean’s Advisory Board and is a life member of Cornell University Council. Sack and his wife Gail live in Longboat Key, Florida and spend the summers on Cape Cod.”

Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration.

Now in his own words,

“In 1958, the application packet for Cornell required a Letter of reference be sent directly to the admissions office in a supplied, stamped, self-addressed envelope. I asked my former supervisor at Howard Johnson’s (Bill Pendergast – VP Northeast Region) if he would write a letter, and he consented. Three weeks after starting School, Dean Meek saw me in the hallway and said: “Mr. Sack, I’d like to see you in my office.” When I went into the Dean’s office, he asked me if I knew why I was accepted at Cornell. I replied that I didn’t know. He said it was because of a wonderful letter of reference he had received from Mr. Howard Johnson. I said, “You mean Mr Pendergast from Howard Johnson’s?” He said “No. From Mr Howard D Johnson.” Evidently, Pendergast wrote a glowing letter of reference, but then gave it to Howard Johnson to have typed on his stationary and signed by him. Dean Meek said he was so impressed that Howard Johnson would take the time to write a letter of reference, he just had to accept me. Truth be known, I was a solid “C” student in High School. What also helped, I believe, was that during the 18 months I spent in Japan, I attended the University of Maryland Extension Courses on the base, taught by University Professors. I also completed several correspondence courses from the U.S. Armed Forces Institute.

The first day I was in Professor Beck’s Accounting Class, he proudly proclaimed that he was the only Professor at Cornell to hold up his sox with a tack.

I received my notice of acceptance from Cornell, the day before I was discharged. I had planned to leave the base at 6:00 AM, so the afternoon before, I went to the Post Office and gave them my change of address. The Postmaster checked my box and handed me the letter which arrived that afternoon. Had the letter came one day later, I would never have gone to Cornell. It would have taken 3 weeks for the letter to reach me, and the acceptance letter said the Spring Semester started in 6 days. Since then, I’ve been a firm believer in fate.

Another example of fate. In February 1958, there was a major recession in America. Jobs were hard to come by. I needed a job to pay my way through school, so I applied for every position that was advertised on the job bulletin board at Day Hall. One of those positions was for a Campus Police Officer, and I applied for that as well. I received a call from the Cornell Chief of Police at the time, Chief McCarthy, who asked me to come into his office for an interview. During the interview he mentioned that I had put down the name of Colonel Bowker as my last employment supervisor. (Colonel Bowker was my Battalion Commander, but as a lowly Sergeant, I had never met him.) Chief McCarthy asked me if I knew that Colonel Bowker had been at Cornell a few years prior, in charge of the PLC Program (That’s the Marine version of ROTC.) I told him I didn’t know that. He asked me if I knew that he and Colonel Bowker were the best of friends. I told him I didn’t know that either. He then said that any friend of Colonel Bowker’s was a friend of his, and that’s how I became the only student at Cornell to work full-time for the Campus Police. In April of 1958, I had the honor, along with another officer, of driving former President Truman during his 3-day visit to Cornell. President Truman lectured at Bailey Hall, had dinners with Cornell President Dean Mallott, lunches with the faculty and spoke in various classes.

President Truman eschewed the Secret Service after leaving the White House, and I had the privilege of driving him for the 3 days he was at Cornell.  The last night he was at Cornell, he invited the other officer and me, up to his room for a drink, which was an experience I will never forget.

My roommate at School, for 2 and a half years, was Dick Ferris who later became my business partner in the New England Applebee’s franchise.

One of the first people I met at Cornell in 1958, was Tom Pedulla (’60), who had just gotten out of the Air Force. Tom and I became the best of friends for over 60 years.

I graduated in three and a half years because I was working full-time, including summers, so I took courses during the summer for extra credit.

In 2003, Dean Butler asked me to give the Hotel School Commencement Address at Barton Hall.

I have lectured in over 40 classes at Cornell over a 60-year period.  On 5 different occasions, I was the Friday afternoon speaker at what used to be Class #155: then Brownies with Beck, Cookies with Clark, Donuts with Dittman, etc. “

An interview with Skip from Business Observer magazine July 30^th, 2004, by Sean Roth

Welcome to Skip Sack’s Neighborhood

Burton ‘Skip’ Sack made his Applebee’s neighborhood restaurants one of the chain’s most successful franchises.

Now he’s bringing his recipe to the National Restaurant Association.

https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2004/jul/30/welcome-skip-sacks-neighborhood/