About Our Restaurant
Part Three
Time-line 1995: Enter a letter from city hall telling us to build two handicapped bathrooms. "You are kidding", was my response. " No, we're not," was theirs. Enter Judd Brown and Steve McMahon, major restaurant and country club designers. Together with Steve Torregrossa they transformed our little hole in the wall establishment into a restaurant full of color and comfort with all of the amenities of major restaurants. What we weren't ready for was the craziness that comes with expansion. More staff, larger bills, more customer needs, more maintenance, more red tape, and most of all the need for more controls. Both in the main restaurant and in our back office. At this time we decided to totally computerize. Posi-Touch computers were introduced and another learning curve for both Tina and I was about to begin.
Four years had passed. It was November of 1998. Were we tired? YES! Were we second guessing our expansion? To be honest, a little! Did we throw in the towel? NO! We recognized the need to establish a quality management team and re-define our goals. Many other needs had to be filled, we were in the process of opening nights, marketing our new look, maintaining a growing catering clientele, policies and procedures needed to be spelled out, computerized accounting was in the process of being set up, hand books and training manuals needed to be written. "Where do we begin?" I asked my partner and wife. She looked at me and sighed. "Fish less, paint less and work more." "Ha! That's not an option," I said keeping my cool. Just when you think that you can't handle any more, something good usually happens, (Yes, someone up there loves us). In our case it was connecting with Jennifer. Talk about timing. She was returning home from a 5 year stint with a small restaurant turned large(5) in Baton Rouge. Her hands on knowledge in all aspects of the restaurant industry is an important asset to her clear insight to restaurant growth, management and marketing. We welcomed her with open arms. She has brought a renewed optimism and enthusiasm to T's, at a time when we needed it.
Time Line February 12, 2000 was our only real snow storm of the year and I was home in my art studio working on a painting, ahhhh, relaxing. The phone rings. It's a developer from Johnston informing me that there's a business for sale that we might be interested in. We looked and immediately thought, PIZZA and Take-out. Our original idea, take-out. There was one missing element in this grand plan of pizza. Dough making and formulating our own dough recipe that will be uniquely T's. We needed help. Enter Anthony DeFalco, Joannie's son, manager of a major pizza chain and ripe for a change. I called, I asked, we met. "I'd be a fool not to," was his reply.
Here we go again, phone calls, design and concept meetings, menus etc, etc, etc. You know, it's not that much easier a third time. Maybe the fourth will be. On June 1, 2000 T's Pizzeria opened at 1417 Atwood Ave. Designed by Judd, constructed by Steve and managed by the two Anthony's, T's Pizzeria is off to a great beginning. Already establishing ourselves apart from the rest of the pack with the very best Food, Service and Ambiance we're looking forward to greeting and serving you all. Pizza, calzone, sandwiches and cool crisp salads. Take it out, have it delivered, or sit and relax in an old neighborhood atmosphere with the soothing music of Frank, Tony, Dean and Jerry.
Time Line May 2004:
Not to repeat myself, but here we go again. Throughout the 2003 year Tina and I say a need. A need to open another location or grow our current facility. This was based on our customers (all of you) response to a formal survey as to what was lacking at T's. The answer was SEATING. You also told us that the waiting lines were too long and parking was insufficient. So, as you well know, we are good listeners. As of May 2004, we have purchased property abutting T's, we have been to zoning and we have finished our architectural drawings. We are currently trying to get a house moved as I am typing this. So far we have not been able to come up with a solution, however, I have faith. We will be open during construction, so bear with us as we GROW TOGETHER.
Time Line August 16, 2005
Well hello again, and welcome back to T's. It's been a little over three months since we have re-opened for business after extensive renovations. Any of you that have added on to your home or have done any build out projects know how trying it can be. We were closed for 12 weeks and let me tell you it seemed like 12 months. We started February 1 and re-opened Sunday, April 24th. Tina and I would like to thank our great staff for waiting throughout that period with only a fraction of their pay being compensated by unemployment. We lost one employee only. Great job all.
Some construction facts: we spent 1.2 million dollars totally.140,000 in the kitchen, tables and chairs cost 50,000, landscaping 25,000, city permits 12,000, design and engineering was 50,000, just to give you some idea of the costs involved.
We are all very pleased with the final results of this project and would like to again thank all of you, our friends, family, and customers for making it all possible. Special thanks also to Judd Brown and his great design team and Steven Toragrossa and his construction crews. So sit back, allow all five senses to be surrounded by the ambiance, taste, listen, see, smell and hear, go ahead relax. Take a deep breath and feel T's fills you with soulful nourishment for all of your five senses.
Throughout the years, the staff has changed and the customer base has grown. We've gotten older and hopefully wiser. All the while there have been three consistent factors. Our families, both the immediate and the extended, our friends, and our most loyal customers. Whether you have just discovered us or whether you have been around for all 23 years. We love and thank you all!
A special thanks to Mom and Dad Tomaselli who put up with my brash youthful energy and was there, all of the time, everytime. Also we are grateful to all of the present and past staff members. It's a great feeling to look back together as we share the fun and craziness at T's. The joy, the sweat, the tears, the anguish. However the best feeling is the feeling of oneness we have getting through those tough days and holding each other up through those times. Knowing that you are not in this alone. Knowing that there is always a place to go to be lifted up when needed, to share good news when it happens and to be part of a family: T's. Have we fulfilled our dream? You bet! Everyday!