Our Grandfather, Sam
Nicolosi, opened his own restaurant in 1952 in the Mission Hills District
at Goldfinch and Washington. The restaurant was an instant success because
of our authentic Italian food, homestyle coziness, and our great employees.
And being that he brought along many of our family recipes from Nicolosi,
Sicily, it only seemed natural that we became a San Diego monument for true
Italian Cuisine. In 1954 our Grandfather moved Nicolosi's to 40th and El
Cajon Boulevard where it served San Diegans for the next 36 years.
In the 1960s our Uncle
and Aunt, Sam and Linda Nicolosi, took over the family restaurant. In 1991 they
moved Nicolosi's to its current location at Adobe Falls Road and Waring Road
as the Interstate 15 construction project developed our former area.
Recently, Robert and Ron Burner, Sam and Linda’s nephews took over the
family business and continue the family tradition as the third generation
Nicolosi’s.
While the world around us
may change, we remain constant with our famous family recipes that have
pleasured San Diegans for the last 50 years. We are a family restaurant of
generations and have been able to do so because of our special recipes,
homestyle environment, and great employees.
Dining with us is like
visiting an old friend. Our environment is cozy and friendly, our service
is personable. As Sam said recently in a Small Business Success
story, "we run the restaurant as a family, and treat the employees of
this big mom-and-pop operation accordingly. I wouldn't have it any other
way." That's why there are five employees (a sixth just retired) with
20-plus years of service. They are:
- Lou
Brennan, 42 years
- Alice
Swain, 40 years
- Linda
McCauley, 30 years
- Frank
Pepi, 30 years
- Eugene
Garcia, 26 years
- Ann
Rodebaugh, just retired after 37 years
