New eatery owner explores options

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In Italy, restaurant owners are hesitant to serve grappa to foreigners. The strong beverage is an acquired taste: Some liken it to a cross between Concord grape Manischewitz and cheap bourbon. Italians are convinced the lazy American palate would choke on the stuff.
The Ristorante Grappa in Fairport serves several kinds of grappa for anyone with a brave heart. But for those with a taste for slightly more delicate beverages, new owner Anthony Valenti, 41, has spent the time since he took over in October expanding the eatery’s wine list.
In addition, Valenti has added more fish and pork dishes to the dinner menu, included some new appetizers and lunches, and begun serving monthly dinners featuring five-course meals paired with wines to match.
But regulars can relax: Grappa will still offer its tried-and-true menu of salads, calamari, pasta, chicken, beef and veal dishes, with plain old spaghetti for the kids.
This is Valenti’s first foray into the food industry. Before buying the restaurant, he was a disc jockey for 19 years. “I always had a desire to own a restaurant,” he says. “I looked around for awhile for the right one. I was looking for the right numbers.”
Grappa, founded by Rochester Rhinos team member Mario Christopher several years ago, had what Valenti was looking for-potential for growth. The restaurant had a decent dinner trade and never had tried lunches.
Valenti thought Fairport had enough commerce to support a takeout and sit-down lunch business, offering another untapped source of revenue. Lunches have been doing well, he says, with up to 15 clients a day. He expects the numbers to grow as more people discover Grappa.
If lunches are not enough to attract new customers, Valenti is hoping that people’s need to leave their mark will. He has added a graffiti wall, and customers can write what they like on it for a donation to cancer research.
In addition, the space has been decorated by artist Martine Lepore, who has painted a mural there and has hung some of her other works.
Valenti declined to divulge how much he paid for the business or what his expected annual revenue is. “Let’s say I paid a considerable amount,” he says. “And since we’ve only been open a month I haven’t given much thought to how much we’ll eventually make.”
The restaurant has six employees, including Grappa’s original chef, Thomas Mitchell.
Grappa had its first wine dinner recently. Twenty people arrived for a five-course meal that included antipasto, spaghetti, tuna, lamb and three desserts. Each course had its own wine, and Valenti gave bottles away as door prizes. Another dinner is scheduled for January.
Valenti also plans to go after the private party and offsite catering market, which will require hiring a few employees. “With that market there are no surprises,” he says. “You know exactly how much you need.”
Valenti sees himself on a learning curve. “I have ideas of what I want to accomplish-not wasting money, or overpaying. And I want quality. But I still have a lot to learn.”
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12/12/03 (C) Rochester Business Journal