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Category:
Published: March 2007
See how Joseph Marrello expanded upon his family's proud restaurant tradition.
Success Magazine: How did you get into the restaurant business?
Joseph Marrello: My family has been in this business since 1958 when my father opened his first restaurant in Albany. He had worked in restaurants before, but this was his first major project. Each time he would start a restaurant then sell it and move up to a bigger one. The first one was a twenty person restaurant in 1958, then a forty person, then a sixty, and eventually a two-hundred seat restaurant by 1980.
SM: He must have worked very hard.
JM: He did it all by himself. He was the chief cook, the bottle washer and, most importantly, the personality behind the restaurant. The premise that he worked off of was only the highest quality food. Only the best.
SM: When did you start in the company?
JM: I started in 1988. I have done everything from bussing tables all the way up to running the restaurant.
SM: It must be useful to know every aspect of the business. At what point did it become Bellini's Restaurant?
JM: We bought into the Houlihan's franchise in 1998. We owned two Houlihan's and then the parent company filed for Chapter 11 in 2001. Our restaurants continued to do well. In 2002 we opened up our first Bellini's in Delmar based off of my father's model. It was an eighty seat restaurant in the Italian mode.
SM: Did you use your past experience with both your father's restaurants and Houlihan's when creating your franchise?
JM: I tried to take the best of both worlds. I took the corporate model from Houlihan's and then incorporated the authentic Italian style food and ambiance.
SM: How would you describe your restaurant?
JM: Authentic Italian with a contemporary setting.
SM: Why contemporary as opposed to the traditional red and white checkered tablecloth approach?
JM: We traveled to restaurant conventions in Atlanta and New York City as well as across Italy and we found that this polished rich look is what best exemplified our image. Our demographics are the upper income group, professionals who are entertaining guests.
SM: You have a Heart Healthy Menu that separates you from other restaurants. Could you explain what that is?
JM: The Heart Healthy Menu was developed by Prime Care physician Dr. Paul Lemanski. It has six additional dishes beyond our normal menu that were tested and qualified for this diet.
SM: What qualifies a dish for the Heart Healthy Menu?
JM: It is the concept of the Mediterranean diet. We use 100% virgin olive oil, more vegetables and less heavy sauces. The Heart Healthy Menu is there for a customer to know that he is not only eating a delicious dish, but one that is good for his health as well.
SM: How do you find balance in your life?
JM: A lot of people answer that question by saying they try to find time for everything. I do that too, there was a time where I had not gone on a vacation in ten years, but now I take my vacations and spend quality time with my family. The balance of life is attributed to the business controls that are set in place to allow quality of life. This support is granted to me through excellent people that work within our company.
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