Break out the shoulder pads and scrunchies: Santangelo’s is throwing it back to the ‘80s to celebrate the restaurant’s 30th anniversary this week.
The restaurant is celebrating its anniversary by creating a scholarship in honor of Sam Santangelo, giving away prizes and taking a trip back in time with a special menu featuring prices from 1986 on Thursday, Oct. 13. Staff members will be dressed in their ‘80s best, and customers are welcome to do the same.
Thirty years ago this week, Sam and Sally Santangelo and their son, Guilio, opened Santangelo’s on Old Liverpool Road. Over the years, the Santangelos’ eight children, their spouses and employees have been serving up Italian specialties such as chicken riggies, lasagna and eggplant Parmesan.
“A lot of people don’t realize we’ve been there that long,” said Maria Santangelo-DeSalis, who manages the restaurant. Her brother, Guilio, and her husband, Michael DeSalis, share chef duties.
In addition to Throwback Thursday and the giveaways, Santangelo’s is raising money for Dollars for Scholars scholarships for both Liverpool High School and Cicero-North Syracuse High School to honor the late Sam Santangelo.
“Everybody knew my dad in Liverpool. He passed away in ‘99, but people still talk about him,” Santangelo-DeSalis said. “Because we’re a Liverpool business, we want to be able to give back to Liverpool, but us Santangelos all went to Cicero-North Syracuse.”
Santangelo-DeSalis said she would like to give out at least two scholarships: one in sports, because Sam coached both basketball and football at Chestnut Middle School, and one in culinary arts because of the restaurant.
While 30 years in the restaurant business is quite the milestone, Santangelo-DeSalis said the most important part of anniversary week is thanking her customers, whom she prefers to call “guests.”
“We’re not the type of family to be bragging about stuff. We just want people to know that we are there for the customers,” she said. “This is like my second house. We want the people that come in to feel that way as well.”
Santangelo’s is located at 673 Old Liverpool Road in Liverpool. The restaurant is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday. To learn more, visit santangelosrestaurant.com, call 457-4447 or like them on Facebook.
