A cross-country connection forged inside a Colony Grill restaurant led to one of the chain's most meaningful Wall of Heroes inductions: the portrait of 99-year-old Marine Corps veteran James Francis "Jim" Staples, now hanging at the Arlington, Virginia, location alongside fellow veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders.
Staples enlisted in the Marine Corps as a teenager in 1943 and served through World War II and the Korean War before concluding his military career in 1952. The honor came together months in advance, when Colony Grill Tampa General Manager Frank Speranzo met retired Lt. Col. Sean P. Coyle — a close friend of Staples — and heard about the upcoming Washington, D.C., trip the two had planned.
From Tampa to Arlington
Speranzo extended an invitation for Staples and his family to visit the Arlington restaurant during their travels, with the goal of adding Staples to the Wall of Heroes. The weekend in Washington included an appearance at the Marine Barracks Evening Parade, a visit to Arlington National Cemetery — where Staples paid respects at the grave of Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Todd Parisi — and ultimately the gathering at Colony Grill Arlington. Speranzo flew up from Tampa to be present for the reveal.
"After Sean shared that he was a former Marine, we got to talking about the Wall of Heroes, and he told me about Jim and their upcoming trip," Speranzo said. "Jim had served in two wars, and was celebrating his 99th birthday. I thought that was remarkable … and given Colony's commitment to honoring veterans, I wanted to be there to support a small part of their journey."
For Coyle, the moment carried the full weight of the weekend. "There were many special moments on our trip and to help Jim walk over to that wall and have him see his picture — up there where it belongs — was especially sweet," he said.
A Program Built Into Every Location
The Wall of Heroes is a standard fixture across every Colony Grill unit, populated with photographs submitted by guests and local families. The displays are designed to anchor each restaurant to its surrounding community — a community-engagement strategy that resonates particularly in markets near military installations and first-responder communities.
The Arlington location, situated near the Pentagon and Marine Barracks Washington, is a natural fit for the program's intent. On Veterans Day, Colony Grill extends the recognition chain-wide by offering complimentary pizza to veterans at all locations — a tangible restaurant loyalty and hospitality tactic that connects the in-restaurant display to a broader community promise.
Staples himself was characteristically understated about the recognition. "I don't feel like I did anything that any other man in my place would not have done, and I am humbled by the amount of gratitude and respect I was given," he said. His broader message, however, was direct: "So many people have given everything to fight for the freedoms we have, and those freedoms cannot be taken for granted."
For operators watching Colony Grill's model, the Wall of Heroes illustrates how a low-cost, community-rooted program — driven largely by staff relationships and guest submissions — can generate authentic brand storytelling that no paid campaign easily replicates.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
