While restaurateur is an apropos moniker for Wayne Judah, co-owner/General Manager of The Admiral Risty, he is so much more than just a restaurateur.  Yet, most people know little about this private, humble man, a man who would never sing his praises.

Wayne is the consummate host.  He can tend bar, cook and bake.  He is a mentor, pilot, softball player, husband, father, and a very proud grandfather.

His connection to food, which began in his childhood, ultimately led him to the restaurant industry.  The eldest of four children, two brothers and a sister, he was raised on a farm in a small farming community in Hardee County some 60 miles east/southeast of Tampa, Florida.  His family grew truck crops- cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and citrus including oranges, tangerines and grapefruits.  They raised chickens, pigs and cows and they made their own butter.  Wayne fondly recalls driving a tractor in the fields at the age of 12 just as soon as he was strong enough to push down the clutch.  “My work ethic was instilled at a young age.  We always worked and we always ate well,” said Wayne.

At age 17, Wayne enrolled at the University of Florida where he studied agriculture in preparation for a career in the citrus industry.  In 1966, he was drafted and joined the Army.  While on a tour of duty in Vietnam, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  When he returned home he was stationed at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro.   On weekdays he worked as a Communications Specialist, and at night he volunteered in the Officers Club in order to learn the art of bartending.  On January 23, 1969, two days before he was honorably discharged, he landed a bartending job at The Admiral Risty.

As his bartending job was a late afternoon/evening job, he took flying lessons in the morning.  Throughout his childhood he had watched planes from nearby bases fly over their farm, was fascinated by their vapor trails, and had yearned to learn how to fly.

Rather than going home after his flying lessons, Wayne went to work early and in his spare time he began ordering the liquor, food and meat for the restaurant.  Just nine months later, he was promoted to Manager. “I was the first person to arrive in the morning, and the last one to leave at night,” he said.  In 1974, amid the challenges of a downturn in the economy, he was laid off.

Thereafter he worked in the insurance industry for a couple of years, but found that his passion remained in the hospitality industry.  Next, he landed a position as Beverage Manager at a corporate chain hotel in the South Bay.  In 1979, Ralph Wood paid him a visit at the hotel and after several meetings, he agreed to return as Manager at The Admiral Risty.  Three years later in 1982, he became a restaurant co-owner and General Manager.

In 1990, Wayne married Jan Jay.  Jan has been a prominent South Bay realtor for over 30 years.   She is currently a principal in The Jay-Judah Group and is associated with RE/MAX Palos Verdes and Execs.  In October of this year, Wayne and Jan look forward to celebrating their 20^th wedding anniversary at their home in Palos Verdes Estates.

Wayne played baseball in high school, and for the past 25 years he has played Senior League Softball in Manhattan Beach, Torrance and Long Beach.   Today the restaurant sponsors his team, The Admiral Risty Whalers.