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Senate Resolution

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A resolution congratulating the Silver Slipper as it

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celebrates its 70th Anniversary in 2008 and recognizing

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April 1, 2008, as "Silver Slipper Day" at the Capitol.

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     WHEREAS, in 1920, Jimmy "Papa" Kalfas, a penniless teenager

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who could only speak a few words of English, arrived in

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Tallahassee from Greece to seek his fortune, became manager of

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the Silver Slipper in 1942, was a partner in the establishment by

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1944, and became the sole owner in 1947, and

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     WHEREAS, the original Silver Slipper was built in 1938 as a

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"dine and dance club," and evolved into the place to eat and be

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merry while discussing the issues facing Florida, and

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     WHEREAS, for 70 years the Silver Slipper has been tied

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closely to Florida politics and has been a favorite meeting place

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of governors, legislators, lobbyists, and VIPs from around the

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state, and

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     WHEREAS, in the first 25 years of the Silver Slipper's

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operation, Leon County was "dry" or "semi-dry," which meant no

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hard liquor could be sold, and the Silver Slipper was licensed to

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sell only beer and wine, and

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     WHEREAS, to circumvent the law, the custom developed at the

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Silver Slipper and several other Tallahassee eating

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establishments for patrons to bring their own bottles in a brown

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paper bag, which worked well for many years until one day in the

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mid-1950s when law enforcement officers swept through the Silver

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Slipper and confiscated all hard liquor brought in by

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legislators, lobbyists, and other patrons, and

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     WHEREAS, although no arrests were made, legislators were

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indignant and the first order of business in the Legislature the

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following day was to enact a law to permit "brown bagging" of

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liquor, and

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     WHEREAS, in a matter of hours, the bill breezed through both

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houses, thus ensuring no interruption of imbibing at the Silver

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Slipper later that night, and

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     WHEREAS, between 1938 and 1974, there were seven additions

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made to the old Silver Slipper building, but despite the debris

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and dislocation of construction, the Silver Slipper was never

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closed for a single day of regular operation, and

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     WHEREAS, during his 27 years as the Silver Slipper's owner,

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Papa Kalfas devoted his life to the Silver Slipper until the "era

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of Papa" ended early on the morning of Sunday, February 17, 1974,

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when the Silver Slipper burned to the ground, and

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     WHEREAS, Papa died shortly after the 1974 fire, but not

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before he moved the Silver Slipper to temporary quarters in the

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lower level of the Northwood Mall, and

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     WHEREAS, at the time of his death, Papa was working on plans

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to build a magnificent new Silver Slipper, but, as it turned out,

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the Slipper remained at its "temporary" site for another 10 years

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before the new home of the Silver Slipper was finally built in

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1984, and

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     WHEREAS, although the building is new, the Kalfas tradition

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lives on with Chris Kalfas, the eldest of Papa's six children,

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serving as the controlling partner and general manager and two of

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Papa's grandchildren, Bill and Jimmy, having key roles in running

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the Silver Slipper, and

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     WHEREAS, a great many people have dined at the Silver

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Slipper over the years, including many distinguished guests and

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at least four United States presidents, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon

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B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, NOW, THEREFORE,

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Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:

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     That the Florida Senate congratulates the Silver Slipper as

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it celebrates its 70th Anniversary in 2008 and recognizes April

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1, 2008, as "Silver Slipper Day" at the Capitol.

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     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with

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the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to the Kalfas

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Family, owners of the Silver Slipper, as a tangible token of the

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sentiments of the Florida Senate.