The Houlihan's restaurant chain is such a familiar part of Kansas City's restaurant community, it's hard to imagine that when restaurateurs Joe Gilbert and Paul Robinson launched the chain, in 1972, it was considered one of the most innovative, trend-setting dining concepts of its era.
Robinson, who co-founded the Gilbert/Robinson restaurant empire with Joe Gilbert in 1961, died at his home in Florida Monday at age 87.
But his legacy as a restaurant innovator will live on.
"Houlihan's was truly a groundbreaking restaurant concept," says Mary Simpson, regional director for the Capital Grill Restaurant chain. She spent a decade working for Gilbert/Robinson. "It ushered in a new era in American dining. Before Paul Robinson began designing restaurants, casual dining was usually without any style or imagination."
Restaurateur Forbes Cross worked at Gilbert/Robinson for six years before opening his own restaurants. Although Robinson was semi-retired, he continued to design restaurant interiors for Cross' restaurants, including Martinis and the Union Cafe.
"He was a great gentleman and intensely creative," Cross says. "He taught a whole generation of younger restaurateurs the importance of restaurant design and creating concepts that were fresh and appealing."
Robinson was a manager at the Golden Ox Steakhouse in 1961 when he met Joe Gilbert -- the creator of the Four Winds restaurant at the old downtown -- and the two forged a partnership that went on to launch successful restaurant concepts such as Annie's Santa Fe, the Bristol Cafe & Bar, Plaza III, Fedora Cafe & Bar, and Fred P. Ott's.
The Kansas City-based Gilbert/Robinson became a publicly traded company in 1976 and was sold to a conglomerate, W.R. Grace, two years later. It was sold twice again after that.
"He was a great innovator," says Joe Wilcox, general manager of the Jack Gage American Tavern and former general manager of the Bristol and Plaza III.
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PR was truely one of the greats of the restaurant industry. Working for him was an education and an honor. He'll be missed.
Paul Robinson "PR" was my grandfather and he truly was a great man, I miss him very much...Thank you for your kind words.
Anyone who has spent anytime working in the industry or enjoying the vibrant independent restaurant scene we have in Kansas City owes a large debt of gratitude to Mr Robinson. I never had the opportunity to work for him, but my late Grandmother did. She spoke incredibly highly of him. You cannot talk to any long time restaurant employee without the phrase, "back when GR ran things" being used with a sense of fondness. I think it is safe to say that Kansas City does not have the caliber of restaurants that we have today without both Mr Robinson and Mr Gilbert.
He will be truly missed.
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