Back in the days of “Cheers,” the theme song promised a bar “where everybody knows your name.” But for restaurant owners, surviving long enough is no small feat. Nearly half of all restaurants close within five years, according to a Restaurant Growth study. But in Rochester, some restaurant owners have not only beaten the odds but thrived for 25 years or more, crediting their success to a fusion of customer connection, balancing tradition with trends, and consistently good food.
Rooney’s Restaurant
Joe Squalli has owned Rooney’s on Henrietta Street for 20 years, making him the longest-running owner since the fine dining restaurant first opened in 1979. He’s also the one who has kept it thriving for the past two decades.
In the early years, he was reluctant to make waves. “I realized if this place survived all these years, there’s a reason,” he says. But to keep it fresh and evolve with changing tastes, Squalli quickly learned that enhancing the menu with the occasional new dish kept it fresh while honoring their signature style. Once a year, the restaurant brings in a guest chef from countries like France or Italy, transforming the menu and the ambiance temporarily.
Yet, Squalli also knows that tradition is important. The plantain crusted jumbo shrimp with mango sauce is so popular customers tell him to never take it off the menu. “That item has been on the menu since I've been here and was created by a sous chef that’s been here for 30 years.”
He also credits his loyal staff, with some having spent decades at the restaurant, a dynamic that adds to that “family feel” that keeps patrons coming back for generations, not just as customers but as friends.
“It’s not easy to stay in business this long. It’s a very humbling experience for sure,” he says. “I stay focused on the business, and you always hope to make the right decisions. I’m very grateful to the customers and community, I wouldn't be able to maintain this without them.”
The Pasta Villa
When Frank Guido and his late brother Jesse decided to buy a building and open up a restaurant, Guido didn’t have any restaurant experience—he was relying on Jesse’s expertise to make the opening a success. More than 30 years later, Pasta Villa is a well-known Italian establishment on East Ridge Road in Irondequoit. Every original recipe remains, with consistency key to their success.
“We’re not big on change at Pasta Villa,” Guido says, noting that many staff members have been at the restaurant 20 or 30 years, including the head chef Randy Rechichi. But keeping up with patrons’ tastes is essential, so small changes match today’s palate.
Guido attributes much of the restaurant’s success to its family atmosphere, which turns first-time visitors into regulars. “We know everybody,” he says. “We’re big on regulars, and if we don’t know your name yet, we will by the time you leave.”
While loyal patrons are key to any successful restaurant, at Pasta Villa, the loyalty runs both ways. Guido explains that if you had a table last New Year’s Eve, it’s yours again the next year, unless you pass it on. “When they don’t want it anymore, they give it to their kids. Our customers are generational.”
Baker Street Bakery
Turning a bread bakery into a full-service bakery was a natural progression for Mary Ellen Leonardo and her husband, Bill. “It’s his background. Baking is his baby if you will, and bread is definitely what he loves to do the most,” she says.
Bill was working an extra job at the Baker Street Bakery on Park Avenue when the owner at the time noticed Bill’s passion and offered to sell. Twenty-five years later (as of this past April), the husband and wife still own the bakery and have watched generations grow up around them, including their own kids.
“We have many customers who come in who we know by first name and have watched our kids grow up. Things sort of evolve. I can remember when our youngest son was born after we bought the bakery, and my husband was rolling dough with my son next to him, and now he’s graduated from college,” she says.
In the early years, Bill’s father and Leonardo’s Italian family recipes helped shape the bakery’s menu. And while some of the bakery’s treats were unfamiliar to customers, like the cucidati, a Sicilian fig cookie, today, calls start coming in around Thanksgiving, with patrons eager to know when they’ll be available. Other favorites include the sourdough (shh, don’t tell the rosemary sea salt fans) and the popular chocolate babka that keeps people coming back for more.
Like Squalli and Guido, Leonardo knows success isn’t just about knowing customers’ names, but understanding their evolving tastes. “You have to ride the waves, with the economy, how people are eating, and stay on top of trends. And sometimes not,” she says, showing how longevity comes to those who understand the balance of tradition with innovation.
Leonardo hopes to one day pass the bakery to the next generation. Their son Will, who works alongside them, has inherited his father’s knack for baking. “The way he works reminds me of how my husband was when he was younger," she says.
In the meantime, they hope to remain a neighborhood mainstay, “staying true to what we do best and what people keep coming back for."
The Secret Recipe
Ultimately, the secret to their success is not just about good food. It’s about the feeling of belonging the owners and staff at these restaurants create. At these establishments, patrons aren’t just customers, they’re friends and family.
Pull Quote: “We know everybody,” Guido says. “We’re big on regulars, and if we don’t know your name yet, we will by the time you leave.”