Operator Spotlight: Perlo’s – East Rochester NY
One of the best parts about the phase of reopening we’re seeing now are the success stories – operators big and small who have made it through the toughest times and are now finding growth and success on the other side. We’re proud to have played a small part in helping our friends at Perlo’s Restaurant, a local institution for over 20 years in East Rochester, NY. Running a neighborhood restaurant with deep community ties, owners Donna Perlo and Brian DiNardo never had to think about delivery and carryout as a significant part of their business. Until they most definitely had to!
“Shelley kept us informed every day, and gave us a lot of good ideas that we wouldn’t have come up with as quickly on our own. That’s how we are—we’ve always had a great relationship. From bringing us samples of new products, to telling us what the larger chains are doing—Barilla keeps us up to speed with the latest information.” - Brian DiNardo, Perlo's
Working with their local Barilla representative, Perlo’s used the best practices and tips available on pastadelivers.com to create their first-ever family meals takeout program last year. Turns out that Perlo’s local customer base were thrilled to be able to get their favorites when they couldn’t dine in – keeping the sales dip during the pandemic to a manageable 20%. Now that dining is back, the added takeout business is still going strong, and Perlo’s is even using co-branded Barilla takeout bags in the effort. It’s been so successful that they’ve added a trailer space to the back of the restaurant to accommodate the extra volume.
Congrats to Perlo’s, and to all of you who have been facing challenges with creativity and optimism. Bravi!