Good News

June 18, 2009

It’s a family affair

Brother and 3 sisters lend names, effort to GAGE in W-B

By Jerry Lynott jlynott@timesleader.com
Business Writer
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WILKES-BARRE – As Anna Delle Cave sat at a table in the empty room Wednesday with her papers and cell phone in front of her, the roofer stopped by to say he was done and a phone company worker let her know her lines were installed. Her brother, Gennaro, walked in and asked about the electrician.

Gradually the two and their sisters, Grazia Reedy and Elvira Delle Cave, are realizing a dream of opening a bar and restaurant after years of working in them. They’ve put their names, or at least the first letters, behind the business called GAGE at the corner of North Main and East Union streets in the city’s downtown.

“We’ve done it so long for other people, why not try and do it for ourselves,” said Anna Delle Cave.

Delle Cave, 32, of Wilkes-Barre, has worked as a waitress at Rodano’s. Gennaro attended culinary school and will be in the kitchen. Grazia will take care of the bar, and Elvira will do the marketing. They have a good teacher in their father, Joseph, who has been a pizza baker for 40 years.

The brother and sisters are equally part of the business and have invested a “comfortable amount in it,” said Delle Cave. They are aiming for an Aug. 5 opening date.

The property has been home to more than a dozen bars and restaurants over the years, the latest being Nono’s, which closed two years ago. Delle Cave said they are leasing the building from businessman Thom Greco and are aware of the tough economic times in which consumers are trying to save more and spend less.

“I know how it’s going,” she acknowledged. “When an opportunity comes up, you have to make the best of it.”

In GAGE’s case, it will be apart from the bars and restaurants located around Public Square and along South Main Street, where much of the development has been concentrated. It also will fill a void left when Rodano’s moved from North Main Street closer to the downtown to make way for construction of the Kinship Square project across from King’s College.

“There’s definitely potential for traffic,” said Delle Cave.

There are other bars and restaurants close to GAGE, but none of them will be like what the Delle Caves have planned.

Their place will be a little upscale with a full bar and feature Italian American cuisine. There is table seating for 60 and another 30 in the bar. They are planning to serve three menus – lunch, an all-day bar menu and dinner. The atmosphere will be casual and attractive to the people working downtown, college students and those out for a night.

“We’re trying to be a little bit for everybody,” Delle Cave said.

The bulk of their work for the next few weeks will be cleaning up the place. Some things will be changed, but the hardwood floors will stay.

After July 4 they will start hiring. Delle Cave estimated they will need at least between 10 and 15 people for the kitchen and wait staff.

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