Given all the community work Tannis did, one wonders how he found time to build and grow the successful Fat Albert’s chain of pizza and sub restaurants.
Article content
When Ralph Tannis died last week, Ottawa lost a giant of giving. He was in the same league as Max Keeping and Ken “The General” Grant, all of whom made our city better. He was extremely intelligent, humble, passionate about his community and very funny.
Ralph thoroughly enjoyed giving and helping others. He brought his vast experience to various boards, including the Central Canada Exhibition Association, National Capital Commission, Competition Bureau and CHEZ-FM, where he also acted as executive director for a year.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Forty years ago, Ralph co-founded the Snowsuit Fund with Joan Gullen. Each year, around 16,000 snowsuits are distributed to those in need. He was a staunch supporter of REACH, which helped people who needed legal and education services they could not afford. Ralph loved sports and actively supported both professional and amateur teams.
Ralph also loved politics, not as a candidate but as an active supporter and adviser. Every Tory campaign for decades was the recipient of Ralph’s generosity of much-welcomed food. In the midst of a campaign, volunteers don’t have time to even think about eating, but Ralph did. It was a joy to see his smiling face enter a campaign office because with it came great Fat Albert’s pizzas and subs donated by the chain of 22 restaurants and bars he founded with Nelson Davis.
Ralph believed that anyone could make a contribution to one’s community through politics, be it by knocking on doors, making phone calls and, yes, even delivering pizzas. Since he was so respected, his advice was sought after.
Former mayor Jackie Holzman said that she always welcomed his thoughtful advice. “He was like David, the little guy going against Goliath,” she said.
Advertisement 3
Article content
In a community where the Tannis name is synonymous with giving, Ralph’s name stood out. Christine Tannis, whose father is Ralph’s cousin, said that whenever she introduced herself as a Tannis, she was always asked, “Are you related to Ralph?”
One wonders how, with his community work, Ralph found time to build and grow the very successful Fat Albert’s chain of pizza and sub restaurants. His first venture in the food business was in the 1960s when he opened a small barbecue restaurant called the Purple Cow on Bank Street near Sunnyside Avenue. It was named after a poem that his father had liked and Ralph thought that it would be a great name for a restaurant. At the opening, Ralph’s quirky sense of humour was highlighted when he gave his first customers unique salt and pepper shakers shaped like happy cows. This venture formed the foundation for the launch of his pizza, sub and bar chain.
Ralph was once sued by Bill Cosby for the use of the Fat Albert’s name. He wouldn’t back down against one of the world’s most powerful stars, and he won.
In his early days, Ralph worked with RBC and IBM, but entrepreneurship was in his veins. At one point the restaurants and Ralph’s bars were on the list of 100 restaurants to watch in an industry publication.
Advertisement 4
Article content
When Jim Durrell was elected Mayor in 1985 it didn’t take him long to realize that Ralph was everywhere: politically, socially and as a business owner, helping others all the time. “In this era prior to ‘social media,’ everything happened because of personal contact,” says Durrell, “and Ralph was the master. In short, Ralph Tannis made our city better.”
One mourner wrote that the impact Ralph had on the community will be felt for years to come. His generosity, great humour and extraordinarily caring nature were his hallmark, and will be missed greatly.
Judith Yaworsky and Larry Malloy benefited from many of Ralph’s pizzas and subs during decades of election campaigns.
Article content
