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Soon after the end of the Second World War, in 1945, Jerry Adelman and his young wife, Helen, left the cold winds of Chicago and came to the warm climes of Miami. Jerry found a job selling paper goods to the hotels on Miami Beach, working for New York company with a Miami branch office. Jerry learned about selling tabletop restaurant supplies, such as china and silverware here, and made many friends in the fledgling hospitality industry on Miami Beach, which was becoming a hot tourist spot. 

His family grew, as well, and Helen raised daughter Jean, and sons Richard and Mickey, in the quiet Shenandoah neighborhood of southern Miami. 

In 1961, Jerry decided to strike out on his own. He had a loyal clientele of restaurant owners who would follow him, and he had a good friend, Neal Kelly, who would make deliveries and go with him in his new venture. Jerry named his new company, “Jerico”, for Jerry and Company, and the business took off from there. They had some very busy restaurants as clients, places like Wolfie’s and the Rascal House, the Embers, and the Roney Plaza. These busy places were well known not just locally, but they had a worldwide following. Crowds lined up to eat at the Rascal House deli, and the owner, Wolfie Cohen, gave Jerry all his business. Jerico was off to a strong start.

Unfortunately, Jerry suddenly passed in 1971, and his son Richard came out of college to help Helen and Kelly keep the business afloat. Helen kept the books, Richard took a crash course in learning restaurant supplies, and they kept the business going.

In 1974, Ian McIntyre, who had worked at another restaurant supply company, joined up with Richard. Ian brought a number of new accounts to the business. The inventory grew, and Jerico began dealing more and more with larger restaurant equipment, such as ranges and refrigeration. The company also began to sell products in the export market. Spanish speaking salespeople joined the growing team of employees, and business expanded into the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Jerico joined a buying group, composed of restaurant dealerships around the United States, which enabled the company to purchase in quantity and remain competitive in the dynamic marketplace of South Florida. Richard and Ian’s partnership thrived for over 50 years, and the Jerico employees stayed on, many for years, as the company was a good place to work. Ian retired in 2018, and Richard cut back on his hours, and a new CEO, Ignacio A. Morales stepped in. A native of Chile, Ignacio continues to maintain the high standards of service that Jerico had become known for, as we come into the second quarter of the 21st Century, and Jerico’s 6th decade serving South Florida and the World.

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