At the time of his birth, his father was operating a Portland restaurant named "Valle's Steak House."

[2][3] Richard Valle's first experience in the business was working at his father's side in the Portland restaurant at the age of 11.

He was a flight instructor in the Air Force during the Korean War, and continued to fly his own aircraft out of the Chatham, Hyannis and Marstons Mills airports until his death.

By 1980, faced with declining sales and profits, he decided to bring the company's 12-year expansion program to a halt.

[5] Valle's transition to chairman was soon followed by an announcement that he, along with other family members, would sell their controlling shares of the company to a private investment group.