The Sams I know
- Admin
- Sep 6, 2025
- 4 min read
Bridgman, MI—One of my all-time favorite movies is “Casablanca.” I love the story, which has a historical background from World War II, is set in the mysterious city in Morocco and has star performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Rick, the owner of Rick's Café, discovers his old flame llsa is in town with her husband, Victor Laszlo. With Victor being a famed supporter of the Allies, and the Germans on his tail, llsa knows Rick can help them get out of the country, escaping the Germans.
I have been watching this classic black and white movie at least two or three times a year for many decades. Over the years, I became more and more fascinated by the role of Sam in the movie. Sam, the pianist and singer in the Café, is one of the few people Rick trusts.
A loyal employee and exceptional musician, Sam is also Rick's confidant and close friend, even going against llsa's initial request to play the song "As Time Goes By.” Sam's character provides a sense of warmth and humanity in a story filled with cynicism and desperation.
When Sharon and I watched this movie, we would be captivated by Sam's singing:
You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.
Although “Casablanca's” Sam is just a fictional character who was played by the talented Dooley Wilson, I feel like I've known this Sam for decades. While I love “Casablanca” and its cast of characters, there have been two real-life Sams who have impacted my life more than the “Casablanca” Sam.
Sam, the Tailor
Sam's Tailor, located in Hong Kong's Kowloon Peninsula, is an 800 sqft unassuming small, cramped shop and is owned by Manu Melwani, aka Sam.
Manu's father, Sam Melwani, opened the shop in 1957 in the same location it's in today. The actual sewing is done in another location.
I first visited the shop in 1989, which was before the 1997 handover to China. At that time, Sam (Manu) introduced himself to me while I was gazing in awe at all the pictures on the walls of famous people like Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr., Prince Charles, Margaret Thatcher and many other globe trotters, all being fitted for clothes from Sam.
After being shown the most fabulous bolts of high-quality fabrics from around the world and learning the too-good-to-be-true prices, I followed Sam’s recommendations for the style and color fabrics that would look best on me and put my order in for three custom suits and five personalized dress shirts.
Doing the job right requires three days, so I had to come back two additional days for progress fittings, as the suits worked their way toward the finish line.
For the next 25 years, I became a repeat customer, as I learned the money I saved on my business attire could pay for my vacation to Asia. Since my initial visit there, Sam has produced suits for President Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Harry, Desmond Tutu and Bruno Mars.
However, it wasn't just the savings and acquisition of high-quality clothing that attracted me and many others back to Sam’s. It was the fact that he became your friend. Every time I would walk into his shop, most times unannounced, he would always know me instantly and greet me with a warm "Well hello, Mr. Lewis. How are you?" He would then rattle off from memory items from my last purchase and start to give me suggestions on which of the latest styles would look best on me.
Sam told me once: "I treat everyone the same, famous or not.”
My friend Manu (the second-generation Sam) has now retired. Although his son Roshan (the third-generation Sam) now runs the shop, Manu will often drop in to meet and greet old customers.
Since 2020, Roshan has taken the shop to a new level by becoming known as The TikTok Tailor with hundreds of thousands following his unique, humorous and zany videos. He has kept the shop's reputation up by working with Oscar-winning Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Sigourney Weaver, and many other world-famous personalities.
Sam the Donut Man
Sharon and I first met Samuel Ring, known as “Sam, the Donut Man,” at Red Coach Donuts a couple of years ago, shortly after he and his wife Stephanie Harrah acquired Red Coach in its downtown Stevensville, MI location.
After our first visit to Red Coach, I knew I had made another "Sam" friend on the same level as Sam the tailor. From a fabulous offering of the world’s best (in my opinion) donuts to Sam's magnetic personality permeates the shop. He became more than an acquaintance to me.
Sam's wife is called “Steph the Chef.” She runs the kitchen, coming up with unique recipes and fabulous creations which they roll out every week from Wednesday through Sunday. Steph the Chef and Sam the Donut Man make the perfect duo: he runs the shop, and she makes the goodies.
Just like Sam the Tailor, Sam the Donut Man has a photographic memory, and he remembers everything I've ordered. Each time I go to Red Coach, Sam places an old-fashioned donut with maple frosting (Sharon’s favorite) in their signature white bag for me to bring to Sharon, who, because of her declining health, can no longer travel to the shop.
Now, each time I enter Red Coach and see Sam the Donut Man, I can't help but think of Sam the Tailor, and “Casablanca” Sam from Rick's Cafe.
As Sam the Donut Man hands me an old-fashioned donut for Sharon, I say to myself, “play it again, Sam - as time goes by.”
Theodore Lewis is the former CEO of Guam Memorial Hospital and has a healthcare consulting business in Bridgman, MI. He is collecting stories about lessons learned in life and can be reached at theodorelewis@yahoo.com.
Subscribe to
our digital
monthly edition
