I'm shocked. . ..

Thank you for all of the years dedicated to serving good meals. You will be missed.

I hope that some of the excellent dishes that were served at DiLullo's will now be appearing on the menu at Dominic's Pub. I will seriously miss this restaurant. It was always such a pleasure to eat there and enjoy the fantastic food, great drinks, and the retro atmosphere. But for anyone with a child with disabilities that must be their priority. Kudos to you Dominic for putting family first.

I wonder what Bob is going to do?

What a horrible thing to find on return from vacation. Could'ent even give them a couple weeks to work while trying to find another job. What a jerk. He dosent sound like a volunteer with his heart in the right place. I will never go to the pub or new place he opens after treating people like that. What a let down to those families. I hope they survive ok.

Karen,

How do you know that he did not take care of the staff? Are you familiar with the concept of innocent until proven guilty?

I know where Im putting my money.

Karen, I know where you can put your money.

If he took care of his employees great. If he didn't Karen is right- I don't support business that don't treat people right. If there is an employee out there please post and let us know! Thanks

dang it..now where is there a real good Italian Restaurant??

dude's getin' ripped apart for choosing he's Family
first, wow go figure Family value's here in Akron..

Opps..His

Business is business. Crybabies.

I use to work for him....no comment.

Two weeks severance pay would have been nice.

I agree with Karen. I know that he did not take care of his staff since I know the main cook. She worked there for 17 years and nothing was done to take care of the cook or to ease the fact that she is now out of work. This cook only took a one week vacation with family and also went into work on her day off to make sure she prepared plenty of what the restaurant needed while she was gone. The cooks/employees are not to be blamed for the closing of the restaurant. What business closes its doors after 63 years because the cook(s) took a well deserved vacation? I wish the best for the DiLullos in their businesses and their family, but please don't treat those that have been loyal to the restaurant for so many years this way.

The last time I went there was 1991. The food was cold and when the waitress asked how our meal was I told her. She shrugged as she placed the check on the table. Now he stiffs his employees. NICE!

As a reg. over at the pub side, I am too, shocked over this, but this article makes sense to me now. Gees....young children at such an old age! I'm 39, and I can't even fathom having children at all....

I do hope that they do offer something more interesting there though. I can only take finger food so much....

Domenic, you are loved buddy. Best to you on your new adventure.

I would have personally tried to sell it. If it a profitable business that he simply did not have the time to run, then maybe delegation of duties or hire someone to run it for him.

There is no way to take care of employees when the business owner on a whim, with no logic to his thought process decides to close his business.

I bet it was losing money....which if that is the case, just admit it, but blaming it on what everyone has to deal with....come on.

Hmm, you wait for your staff to go on vacation then suddenly realize you can't take it anymore and close the place? Sounds to me this may have been in the works for a while. Especially if he already has plans for a new place there. I hope he does the right thing and brings back his staff for the new place.

That is what happens when people patronize the fake italian chain restaurants (Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, etc). There are many fine mom and pop restaurants in the area and please visit them. I was at a very nice italian restaurant in Youngstown last weekend and the owner was telling me how she has been using her grandmother's old world recipes. The food fresh and great. Support Akron area businesses.

I don't believe it's due to lack of business. He said he had a steady customer base and people were spending money. Not sure why someone would on a whim close a successful business.

Get over it people. Are you aware that the economy is failing everywhere? Buy into the "family" thing if you want to, but ny eyes saw "I wasn't making enough profit to validate the time away from my family". Businesses close every day. As far as his "not taking care of his staff", he gave them a job and a paycheck every week while he was open. It's time to move on. Wash dishes and bring plates of food to people at some other local restaurant. Hardly a career path that needs a college education...

Loser-takes one to know one-guess you are.
If it was a large co. that sudenly shut its doors and stiffed all it's employees would that be cool too? You don't treat people that way. Since the businees has been around 50 yrs and he grew up with it he should know what was involved and should have been able to handle a few staff memebers that were on vacation. If he couldn't well then DUH don't schedule that many at once. Bet his parents are REAL proud of him right now (probably rolling over in their graves)

staggering.

Perhaps now he can pay some of his bills.

Did he finally marry Liz?

The place sucked anyways... Just like his bar

MaMa-Mia, that's a too much-a on a my plate.

Close-a the door before they a come back!

Hhmmm...almost sounds like a temper tantrum. He closed the place up, took his toys and went home. I am all for family values and spending time with your own family. However, every single one of those employees haa a family, too. Me thinks there is more to the story.

???????? confused
Cuy Falls, oh

Posted 12:58 PM,
07/03/2009

I use to work for him....no comment.

I never went in the place. So I too have no comment. lol

Only been there one...1 hour plus wait for spaghetti? Food was above average,but service wasn't so great...didn't impress me to return...so it's not much of a loss.

As far as leaving his employees out on a lerch, this happens everyday in this economy. He provided them with a job and paycheck when open, and has the right to do whatever he feels is best. How many of his employees would have given him more than a week or two notice. The shoe goes both ways!

@cassie221, I agree with you. I hope the employees got more than a thank you for their efforts. My first thought was that it sounds like a midlife crisis. If he's going to open a new place with a manager to run it, why didn't he just hire someone to run DiLullo's to give hime a break and more time with his family?

If he WAS doing alright customer-wise... as he mentioned... then he could have kept the doors open another month, giving his staff a little bit of time to make arrangements.

He closed with no warning, no notice.

It was unfair to his employees.

If he did compensate his employees, then good for him; but it doesn't appear that he did so.


Finding someone to take over and run the place while he did other things wouldn't have been that hard.

Hi Dom, this is your OLD neighbor Lisa Ciriello, now living in Jax, FL. I worked next door to you in my father's place for 20 years. Still miss the all the regulars at Ciriello's State Rd Tavern & Restaurant! And I have fond memories of you dad too. Disregard the nasty comments above....they have NO idea what families sacrifice to run a successful restaurant. God bless you!

Donny's right. If you can't find someone to run it, and it's still making money, then sell it. Sounds like he's going to repackage it and reopen it. That's still a lot of work, and I thought it was the extra work he was trying to avoid? Someone else mentioned that he chose "family first". That's a noble concept, but some of the people who worked for him have families, too. He could have at least given them some notice or severance to help them help their families.

The son tarnished John DiLullo's good name.

Hey Lisa Ciriello,

You obiviously make family sacrifices to run a sucessful business so that you can provide a better life style for YOUR family and move to sunny Jacksonville Florida.

Did your family run their business out of the goodness of their hearts as a free service to the community; I think not.

The decent thing to have done was give the employees at least a two wekk notice as he would have expected from them.

I'm not even suggesting a severance pay, just a 14 day noticed.

As more than one poster has noted. It will take just as much work to start a new venture which may not get much support if these post are any indication.

That building may have just became "Taboo'ed"

No go get some sun!

By the way dearie,

These posters who have NO idea what sacrifices a family makes to run a succesful business do indeed know and not only are some business people themselves, they are customers of other businesses and quite possibly were a customer to your daddy's place.

The difference is they truly have a heart and understanding as to what is really important.

Was your daddy Joe Jackson, because you sound like it's all about you and your family at the expense of others.

Just remember "YOU WENT THERE!"

Lots of typical republican attitudes posting on here.

It is all about living within your means and paying your bills. This guy does neither.

I wonder when the employee's decide to quit do they give 2 weeks notice and work it out & do they also give the owner a severance pay so he can retrain new workers to do the job now vacant , I highly doubt it

Maybe he should let me turn it into a soul food joint. My Sunday special will be pig feet and black eyed peas. Won't you all come visit me.

And as well if you really read the article the reestaurant did not close because the cook took a vacation -- it sounds like the responsibility of preparing the food was the catalyst not that the cook took a well deserved vaca --

"...I wonder when the employee's decide to quit do they give 2 weeks notice and work it out ...."

You'd be amazed at how many do. OTOH, I've worked at several places over the years where employees did the right thing and gave notice, simply to be told that if that was the case, they could just go home. I know, I was one of them.

"...do they also give the owner a severance pay so he can retrain new workers to do the job now vacant ..."

Don't be stupid. No one pays an employer for the privilege of working at their establishment. The owner hires them because he/she feels that having them work there will be profitable for their business.


"...Disregard the nasty comments above....they have NO idea what families sacrifice to run a successful restaurant..."

First off, these comments aren't "nasty". They are simply comments from people who know the difference between doing what's right and what's wrong. This particular business owner cut people loose with no warning, no notice,and no regard for their personal situations or economic status.

Second, you have no idea how many people on this forum have or continue to run businesses of their own, and- restaurant or not - the difficulties in operating your own business aren't indigenous solely to food service. You're not special and entitled to sympathy just because you cook food and serve it. It's difficult to run ANY business.

Self admittedly, he was doing fine revenue-wise, so it wasn't an emergency economic situation that forced the shutdown. He just decided he didn't want to do it anymore, which is fine.

But when you take people down with you with no warning, that's when it hurts.

Forget the severance. Very few would expect that. But he could have kept the place open one more month and given his employees time to look for something else.

It was a chicken s**t move.

ITA, Donny!!!

No. 1 to "Angry Black" ... typical Republican attitude? You must not be able to read because the comments are pretty well split - for an against Mr. Dilullo. No. 2 - I hope Mr. D. did provide at least two weeks pay (maybe four?) to his employees. If he has such a profitable second source of income, he should be able to do the right thing, which is either hire them for his other location, or give them two weeks' pay. And that's my Republican Attitude, Mr. A.B.!

In case anybody was wondering .. yes he offered several people positions at the pub as was feasible. Second of all, I'd like to know of all you small business owners out there, how many would offer their own employees two/four weeks severance pay when closing .. or take a chance that people will not perform up to expectations once they find out they were out of a job. I've seen the attitude in big corporations and I'm certain it would be the same in a small business. Any answers sbo?

"...Second of all, I'd like to know of all you small business owners out there, how many would offer their own employees two/four weeks severance pay when closing .."

I would. I know this because I did it.

When I folded my business, not only did I give my employees six months notice, but I also gave them all severance packages commensurate with their time and positions. Was it much? Not in the grand scheme of things, I guess... it added up to about 3 weeks pay for each employee.

But I don't remember anyone complaining at the time, and the reason I know this is because out of the fifteen people I employed at the time, ALL FIFTEEN stayed until I locked the doors on the last day.

I ended my run owing nothing to anyone... all leases, utilities and phone bills paid in full, all customers fulfilled in contracts and commitments.


In the end, it did cost me money to close.

But ...I could look myself in the mirror afterwards.

I also know the cook( the only cook, the one who did everything since 1992) personally and I also know very well that she worked at the restaurant even when she did not feel well. She went on a family vacation without pay. She also prepared everything before she left for vacation, because that is the way she is: dedicated and responsible. She even had the opportunity to stay longer on vacation, however, she chose to come back because she felt obligated to be at the restaurant. 17 years working as the only cook and a great provider to the restaurants business and she comes home to find that she is now a 70 year old immigrant without a job. It serves no justice that she and the other employees were given no prior notice to the closing of the restaurant. Those of you who say for these employees to move on and get another job, well i'd like you to think of your grandmothers or your mothers or fathers, or whoever it will take to make your heart think for a change. These people are suffering huge losses and it will take time for each of them to get back on their feet. And Donny, i appreciate it greatly that you are speaking from your experiences. other people are quick to judge but you have the experience to speak the truth.

My hats off to you! A father first and a business man second. We need more men like you!

hats off to you mpinango! I hope your friend and her family are able to adjust to this unfortunate spur of the moment decision. Some family man!

MOM23 you are ignorant-if he was such a great family man he wouldn't have had his kids in the resturant that late. Where is the wife-why couldn't she watch them? His kid didn't become disabled overnight so you might have wanted to plan ahead for childcare. Bottom line the guy could care less abut his employees. If people would STOP supporting business that stick it to there employees and support business that don't maybe this world would stink as much as it does! People get some intergity and stop accepting loser behavior and saying "Oh well" it's ok.

Donny sir YOU are a gem! Thank you for have some class-if you have a business please let us know-I would be happy to shop there!

I appreciate the sentiment.

I now operate a small audio/video production facility, no shingle hanging out front, and I work for a very small group of set clients (2 in Ohio and 1 in L.A.), but I do appreciate the thought that if my facility was still open to the public, that people would patronize it.

PS...3 of the largest companies/contracts I currently work with are managed by three employees that used to work for me.

Believe it folks... honest behavior and fair practices really DO pay off. It's not just pie in the sky. All you have to do is treat people with respect.

:)