Aug 7, 2006 2 min read

In today’s paper, we read about supervisors trying to bring a major chain restaurant into the area, specifically Olive Garden. Over the past three years my local partners Jim Stambaugh and Marcial Agabon have been working feverishly to develop a fine Italian restaurant concept, Pasta Lorenzo, for the new business park in South Union Township. Although we had to cross many, many hurdles we have finally received funding to start our endeavor. The building is designed, the menu is planned and we are waiting to close on the property in the new business park. Mr. Bob Schiffbauer has never expressed interest in our project although the South Union supervisors have known about it for at least the last 30 months. I find it completely amazing that people base economic success on a chain restaurant coming to the area.

As president of the Laurel Highlands Restaurant Association, I know that 80 percent of restaurants in the United States are independently owned.

These restaurants are the backbone of the community. The owners are local, the money stays local and they purchase supplies locally. They put money into the community by fundraising drives. They are asked daily to donate money for many things from a church calendar party to a fundraiser for cancer.

These independents rarely turn anybody down. Just ask Fabrizi’s, Meloni’s and other independent restaurants in the area. Our new venture, Pasta Lorenzo, will also be an independent restaurant and I know we will be very involved with the community.

Chain restaurants as a whole are not locally owned, and money does not usually stay locally and their fundraising efforts are usually on a national level.

I think it’s a shame that Mr. Schiffbauer has to pull out his bullhorn to beg a chain to come to the area when all he has to do is pick up the phone, make a free local call, and let us know that we (Pasta Lorenzo) have his support.

As Restaurateur of the Year, I know that we will meet and exceed, in and out of our restaurant, anything that Olive Garden can do and we would hope that our local support would exceed what any town is looking for in the Olive Garden.

Chef Joe Carei

Fayette Restaurant Group