Mark Twain once wrote, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
John Bruno claims to have no regrets about the decision he made twenty years ago to follow Mark Twain’s advice to pursue his dream. John left the comfort and security of working with his brothers at Brunos on Germantown Pike and caught a “trade” with Alino Torre to purchase Torre’s Ristorante Toscano at the Montgomery Commons Shopping Center. The deal was closed on Monday January 4, 1999. For five and half years, Toscano’s operated at that location before moving to its current Broad Street location on September 15, 2004. The first booking at the current location was a rehearsal dinner for a good customer on the 17th, but a group of dentists called to ask if they could meet at Toscano’s for dinner on the 15th. Ever the accommodating host, John said “yes,” The carpeting wasn’t fully in place, and the bathroom towel holders were being nailed to the walls at 4:59 as that first table arrived. The new Ristorante Toscano was up and running!
John has been running ever since, working his own wedding, the births of three children, and occasional family events and trips into his schedule. Shortly after John and Amy were married, John made the momentous decision to close the restaurant on Mondays, so that he would have at least one “family day” a week. (Needless to say, that plan worked somewhat better when the little ones were not in school.)
Thankfully, John’s transition to operating his own restaurant was eased by the fact that two of Mr. Torre’s servers agreed to stay with John and are still working at Toscano’s, 20 years later! Debbie and Mary weren’t part of the written deal, but they have certainly contributed to Toscano’s success. Steph, Mary’s sister, came in to help out on Mother’s Day in 2001. The good news is that she has kept coming back and continues to help out now as one of our regular servers.
With continued hard work and a pinch of good luck, we hope our friends, loyal customers, and customers-to-be will keep coming back, too.
Anniversary Specials
Friday night only – if you wish us a Happy Anniversary!
No entrée priced at more than $20
All fish and veal entrées – $20
All chicken entrées – $15
All pasta entrées – $13
