I met Allen Bernstein in the mid-1970s, when Allen was operating Hardee’s units on Long Island, and I was the general manager of a group of McDonald’s restaurants in New York. We immediately recognized our mutual interests and respect for one another, and a warm friendship developed.


Very soon after we began to know each other, Allen called and invited me to go with him to south New Jersey to see a new burger concept called Wendy’s. Because he had trouble with his vision, he had a driver, so we had lots of time to relax in the back seat and talk at length about many subjects, especially restaurants and food.


The depth of his knowledge and thirst for even more was astonishing. This was a man who was bound to be an expert at the restaurant business and had an abiding love for food, particularly new ideas about food. The Wendy’s trip was most enlightening for me, as Allen pointed out the low-temperature cooking to make the burgers juicy, that they topped sandwiches to order and used the overcooked patties for chili. It made me realize that his vision was perfect when it came to pointing out differentiation between one restaurant and another. 


For his entire too-brief life, Allen Bernstein was not just a restaurant expert; he was a food maven — an ultimate expert.


When he was on a liquid-protein diet, he would go to one of his restaurants and judge the food and wine with his sense of smell. His curiosity knew no bounds, and he had to personally experience every new idea he heard about.


When McDonald’s with the Diner Inside was being tested in Kokomo, Ind., I was there for the opening, and so was Allen Bernstein, in a booth with another restaurateur, sampling most of the dishes on the menu.


Although we often talked about marketing, I got the sense that Allen needed little advice regarding how to attract people to his restaurants. Morton’s literally thumbed its nose at traditional marketing tactics, growing primarily on word-of-mouth, publicity and minimal media investment. I always thought that the size of the Morton’s check was smart marketing, appealing to exactly the target market.


Allen was one of the outstanding and most-admired restaurant operators our industry has known. Those of us who knew him will miss his warmth, his counsel and his all-encompassing spirit. There will be few like him, now and in the future. Next time you sit down to a marvelous meal, raise a glass to Allen Bernstein. The food would be even better if Allen were there to discuss it with you.

Barry Klein is a marketing consultant with a long history in the restaurant industry. Among his accomplishments, he is credited with creating the Ronald McDonald character and McDonald’s “You Deserve a Break Today” campaign. His clients have included Pizza Hut, Quiznos, Ruby Tuesday, Prime Rib Subs and Smashburger, among others. He has also been a McDonald’s franchisee and a partner in a Tony Roma’s restaurant.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Nation's Restaurant News.