Posted on 10/01/2014 5:29:24 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa
Around 4 p.m. on Saturday, Joseph Paret wheeled his big Toyota Tundra pickup into the parking lot of C.J. Ferrari's, an Italian restaurant on Route 1 across the street from Laurel Lakes. Knowing that this would be the last day of the eatery's existence, he wanted to enjoy a farewell meal at his favorite dining out spot.
Against an exterior backdrop of handsome rustic paneling, green canopy and a stunning mural of Venice, complete with images of St. Mark's Cathedral and gondolas afloat on lazy Mediterranean waters, Paret dished on the passing of an era.
"I feel terrible about it," exclaimed the 55-year-old Laurel resident who works for the government. His gaze froze while he attempted to come to grips with the loss. "The reason why is they've got some of the best Italian food in the area," singling out the spaghetti and meatballs for its outstanding quality and value. "We've had it up to here with chains."
"I gotta get my head and body right," said owner Joey DiBattista a day after he decided to close for good. "I need to heal."
DiBattista, who opened the restaurant in 1985, said the era of the mom and pop eatery is fading.
"It's a dying business concept. It takes people with passion," he said. "Maintaining that on a daily basis with your staff and customers is a pretty exhausting process."
That stretch of Route 1, he added, has morphed into an area better suited for chain operations.
"It just makes it harder and harder," for the small owner to stay in the game. "Almost 90 percent of restaurants fail within the first three years," he said. "I gave it a pretty good shot. I was hoping to have a handful more years."
Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/laurel/ph-ll-column-glaros-ferrari-20140915,0,5204898.story#ixzz3EwTWVXhy
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...
Famed Chef Emeril Lagasse Says Obama May Drive Him Broke
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3208228/posts
I have heard Louis Restaurant in the Bronx is good.
“It’s perfect for us. A small family place, good food. Everyone minds his business. Perfect”
Joey made the very best white pizza that I've had in the Baltimore/DC area!
I have spent so, so many hours there over the years.
My daughter's Confirmation dinner was there.
My heart is absolutely broken over this.
Small businesses are going under left and right, and they are not being replaced. They are hard to tax and mandate, so the federal government is systematically closing them down.
I saw an article the other day saying that the economy has contracted 50% in the last five years — this agrees with the
guesstimate of 20% inflation I’ve had for a few years.
Nest stop, massive default of the socialist entitlement programs, and the resulting rioting. I give it another year or so.
An Ebola outbreak could be the trigger.
"It's a dying business concept. It takes people with passion," he said. "Maintaining that on a daily basis with your staff and customers is a pretty exhausting process."
Earlier this year, we lost a great mom and pop eatery out here. The Seafare Inn in Whittier, Calif. was far and away the best seafood restaurant in the area. It had opened in 1961 and outlasted all of the restaurants but one that were open in Whittier at the time.
The Seafare had a loyal clientele, but changing demographics--the customers were mostly older and white--the rising price of seafood and finally Obamacare finally convinced the family that owned it to call it a day.
There used to be a small Italian restaurant in my home town. It was “Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant”. I ate my first pizza there in the early 60s and thought it was the best thing I ever ate.
I have no idea if it is still there but I suspect Mom and Dad are no longer operating it.
Many years ago a famous television personality (whose name I can’t recall right now) ate there and gave it a plug on national TV.
I just remembered his name, Arthur Godfrey.
There’s a heaviness hanging over us since obama was elected; indeed, a sadness, a feeling of loss for something that once was, a sense of powerlessness. Economic activity has slowed down to a crawl and government (even down to the local level) has become our enemy.
The new tenants, he said, will soon reopen the location as a Peruvian chicken place.
Rather than a classic blues song, sounds to me like the owners are selling out while there is a profit to be made........
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