Restaurateur brought unique touch to popular trends
Chris Economy helped to develop some of the Fox Valley's most successful restaurants from 1950 through the 1970s, drawing on a combination of his artistic talent and degrees in marketing and business.
Yet family members say he also possessed an intangible that helped him turn each of his restaurants into popular venues: the vision to see the latest trends.
"He was always ahead of his time," says his daughter, Kim Stuart of Lake Zurich. "He knew to be successful, you had to have good food -- and a good concept."
Mr. Economy passed away on April 4. The longtime West Dundee resident and Elgin native, most recently of Green Valley, Ariz., was 83.
The Viking Restaurant and Smorgasbord in East Dundee was the most recent restaurant that Mr. Economy developed. Despite his Greek heritage, Mr. Economy developed the vacant building into a Scandinavian lodge, acting on the trend at the time for smorgasbord buffets, with authentic Scandinavian food.
He not only designed the restaurant with contemporary Scandinavian furniture and rough-hewn timber siding on the inside, but he also illuminated all of the Scandinavian flags outside the building.
Family members say he conceived a "clocktail hour," giving a different spin to a happy hour concept by giving customers time cards that they punched in. Mr. Economy also pioneered the "Birthday Club," giving free dinners to patrons on their birthday.
"That was very, very popular -- with people of all ages," says his son, Vance, of Chicago.
Mr. Economy was a fighter pilot during World War II, and when he returned home to Elgin he helped his father run the Royal Lounge in Elgin. When Mr. Economy and his brother-in-law, James Cordogan purchased the establishment, they began featuring live entertainment, often booking jazz artists from Chicago's Blue Note.
From there, the pair added running the Tiki Lounge in Elgin to their workload. This time, Mr. Economy drew on the popular Polynesian and surfing trends of the time, and they designed a thatched bar and painted totem poles throughout.
In 1958, the pair also built the original Village Squire restaurant, designing it with an English pub feel, complete with a cozy fireplace, which Mr. Economy himself designed.
The long hours of the restaurant and bar business eventually convinced Mr. Economy to transition into food service. Consequently, with Cordogan, he started Food Service Management in Elgin, providing onsite food service for large companies.
In 1966, Mr. Economy obtained his real estate license, and together with Cordogan, he opened Century 21 Equity Realty in downtown Elgin, which was one of the first franchises in the area, and one of the largest.
Mr. Economy was preceded in death by his wife, Helen. Besides his son and daughter, Mr. Economy is survived by a son, James, of Spring Grove, and daughter, Dyan Werderitch (Jerome) of Hillsboro Beach, Fla., as well as three grandchildren.
Visitation and a funeral service will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church -- where Mr. Economy was a founding member -- located at 525 Church Road in Elgin.