About Lenny's
About Lenny's
Lenny was born in Newark, NJ in 1935. Judy was from Brooklyn, NY born in a seldom disclosed year. In the early ’70s on Long Island, Lenny and Judy co-managed Jack- in-the-Box restaurants, including one on Islip Avenue in Central Islip. We remember the kids that worked there wearing love beads and Vietnam War peace signs. The Farrells moved from Long Island to Winter Park in 1975 to open more Jack-in-the-Box restaurants. It was not to be, so in 1976 Lenny signed on with Sambo’s restaurant and was transferred to Clearwater as a managing partner for the restaurant on Gulf to Bay Boulevard. In 1979 Lenny and Judy finally purchased the building that was to become Lenny’s. It was formally a Ranch House Restaurant built in 1969. They used their life savings of $40,000 to build their dream. In 1980 Lenny’s was born! It was an eclectic ’70s style delight and it remains to this day the same as Lenny and Judy envisioned it. The Farrell family have always been baseball fans, but to Lenny baseball was an obsession. In Brooklyn he loved the Dodgers. When he moved to Long Island, the Mets became his team. Dan and Ben’s first baseball game was a ’69 Mets game against the Phillies. When the Farrells moved to Clearwater, the “Phillies” were the only home team. So Lenny and Judy quickly acquired front row season tickets to Jack Russell Stadium just in time to see the Phillies win the World Series. Lenny went to every Phillies’ game. No matter what, out the door he went. At that time the major league Phillies stayed next door at the Royal Inn Motel and many players ate breakfast at Lenny’s before heading to camp. They loved to kibbitz with Lenny and Judy and Lenny was in heaven. Once Mickey Mantle, Lenny’s baseball hero came in and Lenny and Mickey went out to dinner together. That year, when the Philly’s won the World Series Lenny’s celebrated with the team. Sadly, Lenny and Judy are gone but the spirit of all they created lives on at Lenny’s Thank you Clearwater and the Jewish community for 40 wonderful years!