Aiello's Cafe in Ridgway Closing After 73 Years

RIDGWAY/ELK COUNTY, Pa — After more than seven decades of ownership by the same Italian family, Aiello’s Cafe in Elk County will be closing its doors one final time on Saturday closed its doors for the last time today.

“But now, as sad as it is, I know deep in my heart it’s the right thing to do,” said Rosa Aiello, whose in-laws opened the restaurant.

The cafe came to Ridgway in April of 1943, but the time has come for the Italian staple on Broad Street to end.

“Very sad, bittersweet, very sad. I spent 40 years of my life in this placeblood sweat and tears,” Rosa and her daughter, Mary Jo Aiello Peterson, said together. Dane Peterson, Aiello Peterson's son - and Aiello's grandson - stood between the two women.

The family is ending their business on their terms - so Rosa can go home to Italy.

“But she needs to retire, she needs to start a new chapter with her family, maybe go back to Italy for awhile, she hasn’t been there in how long? 14 years," said Aiello Peterson.

The restaurant attracted many from around the USand the world.

“We have friends from near and far that come here from Pittsburgh, out of state, out of country, I mean, we are well known to a lot of people outside of the community, but the community support has been wonderful,” Aiello Peterson said.

“I met so many special people and I have so many great memories, people that travel from Washington D.C., New Yorkthey always stop here, and I have a lot of memories that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” Rosa remarked.

Rosa says the food in Italy can’t be compared to here in the states, but the Aiello’s provided about as good as it gets on this side of the Atlantic.

“(It’s) different, you can never cook like you do in Italy over here because the ingredients are totally, totally different," Rosa declared. "But, I did the best that I could."

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