Fifteen years ago in 1994 I signed a lease on a run down decrepid building on the corner of Knox and Arizona Ave in Chandler. It had been a Golden Corral Restaurant, and then a series of failed Mexican restaurants. Being a New York Italian I had always wanted to open a little neighborhood Italian joint and I had been eyeing the corner for serveral years. It seemed about the right size and it was really close to my other restaurant, Chops. Finally I drove by and saw a white paper posted to the front door which pretty much always pronounced the death of a restaurant, and I quicky called the landlord so I could roll the dice and try to succeed where others had failed. I signed the lease and later that day began a careful inspection. The place was a catastrophy. The windows were painted black and protected by pool fencing. The bar was made of corrugaged steel and chicken wire. The floors were chipped and painted concrete and adorned with cheap plastic furniture. Cockroaches outnumbered whatever customers they had by 10 to 1. The electrical panels were disassembled and taken apart and hazardously wired to run backwards so electric generators could run the lights when the power company shut the place down. My friends and family thought I was crazy, but I had an undeserved and probably very naive confidence in the property and six months later RigaTony's was born. We struggled in the beginning, but ultimately succeeded and prospered beyond any expectation.
I never dreamed back then that the fifteen year lease I signed would slowly slip away with me still being in that building, and doing more business than ever before. Hell, I had just turned 40 and still at the stage where fifteen years seemed like infinity. How fast it all goes by. In the last few years I have seen the last day of the end of our lease inexorably approaching. Choices? I had several. Renew the lease for X many more years? Retire and do nothing? Or move our beloved institution to another location.
None of these choices seemed all that great. Its a long long story but our landlord is a complete and utter nightmare to deal with. If I was a novelist I would employ his character as a world class villian, and only an iron-clad lease has protected us from him for the last decade and a half. I made a couple attempts to negotiate, but I quicky realized that it was pointless. Retire and kill RigaTony's? Well, at 57, I'm still a youngster and some people are just starting to hit thier prime at my age. Besides I love my job and I think I am just now finally getting good at this. Besides if I killed RigaTony's I'd get even more death threats than I did when I killed Chops. So over time I realized that no matter the difficulty, no matter the expense, RigaTony's would have to be moved, and at the start of this year Chrissy and I began the search for the perfect location.
Well, after months of searching I have been reminded that sometimes the answers to tough questions are a lot closer to home that you realize. I had, for quite a while been intrigued by a restaurant building that was less than a mile from my house in south Tempe, where I have lived since 1993. When I moved to the neighborhood the the building was operating as a JB's restaurant, for which it was originally designed. It was then reincarnated as a Timberlodge Steakhouse. That didn't last more than a couple of years and then became a failing Mexican Restaurant. Does anyone besides me see a pattern here? This time I approached the landlord BEFORE the restaurant closed and just today we recieved the keys to our brand new, beat up old restaurant.
The restaurant has been closed up for a couple of months now and as I inspect the inside of the building I breath in the stale greasy frangrence of fried tortillas, inspect the cracked and vandalized windows, and dodge the occasional scurrying cockroach. And yet all I feel the thrill and exhillaration of a challenge. A challenge the likes of which I haven't felt for exactly 15 years.
This time I have committed myself to posting our progress on this project. The difference between now and 15 years ago is that I have thousands of loyal RigaTony's guests to whom I owe both our past success and and a concise communication about where we are going and how we're getting there. I am hoping this blog will give all of you a voice and an actual method of being involved in this project. After all, in a sense it's as much your restaurant as it is mine. I'm also willing to wager that the crazy ride between now and our grand opening will be at least a little entertaining. Thanks for reading - stay tuned!
Mike
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The trials and tribulations of making a new home for RigaTony's Restaurant
WE ARE MOVING!
That's right; RigaTony's has lived in Chandler on Arizona Avenue for fifteen years but as of March 23rd we will be moving five miles down the road to Tempe. Our lease is ending and we're taking this opportunity to find a location that addresses the suggestions you've made to us over the years. Our new location will have patio dining, seating for large parties, more convenient take out, an Italian market and will also address the top three complaints about RigaTony's; parking, parking and parking. The new location on the north east corner of Mcklintock and Warner will be closer for some of you and farther away for others, although easier to get to as it's just a mile off the 101 freeway.
As more and more of our guests have learned about the upcoming move I have been advised… no… make that threatened NOT to change our food. I am here to report to you that your message has been received. Our entire staff, together with our recipe books, kitchen equipment, pictures on the walls, the lights over your head, the seats you are sitting on and the menu you are now holding will be magically and seamlessly transported to our new home and I personally guarantee the Antipasto Salad will be just as delightful and the Baked RigaTony will taste just as delicious in Tempe as it does in Chandler.
I am generally not known as a sentimental person and my main focus is to protect the livelihood of my staff and move our business forward, but even in the throes of this move I am reminded of what an emotional landmark this business has been to many of our guests over the years; the first dates, anniversaries, weddings and special occasions of all kinds. The personal friends we've made that have visited us and shared their lives with us over the years. My own story as well as my father and inspiration Tony worked here as a host for many years before he passed away, as well as my two sons and two daughters. I met my wife Chrissy here as well, so even though I am engrossed in the details of this move, when people tell me to be careful not to disturb the essence of RigaTony's… I get it.
I invite you to make the move with us in March to our new home. Until then you can follow our progress here or if you really want to stay in touch send me an email at Rigatonys@cox.net and I'll send you a weekly update on the opening details. Just write Hello Mike in the subject line and you're done.
Thanks again for your patronage and hope to see you in Tempe!
Mike Lopercio
Thanks for reading -
As more and more of our guests have learned about the upcoming move I have been advised… no… make that threatened NOT to change our food. I am here to report to you that your message has been received. Our entire staff, together with our recipe books, kitchen equipment, pictures on the walls, the lights over your head, the seats you are sitting on and the menu you are now holding will be magically and seamlessly transported to our new home and I personally guarantee the Antipasto Salad will be just as delightful and the Baked RigaTony will taste just as delicious in Tempe as it does in Chandler.
I am generally not known as a sentimental person and my main focus is to protect the livelihood of my staff and move our business forward, but even in the throes of this move I am reminded of what an emotional landmark this business has been to many of our guests over the years; the first dates, anniversaries, weddings and special occasions of all kinds. The personal friends we've made that have visited us and shared their lives with us over the years. My own story as well as my father and inspiration Tony worked here as a host for many years before he passed away, as well as my two sons and two daughters. I met my wife Chrissy here as well, so even though I am engrossed in the details of this move, when people tell me to be careful not to disturb the essence of RigaTony's… I get it.
I invite you to make the move with us in March to our new home. Until then you can follow our progress here or if you really want to stay in touch send me an email at Rigatonys@cox.net and I'll send you a weekly update on the opening details. Just write Hello Mike in the subject line and you're done.
Thanks again for your patronage and hope to see you in Tempe!
Mike Lopercio
Thanks for reading -
