Nonna Rosa’s, Longtime Robbinsdale Restaurant, Permanently Closes
After 15 years in downtown Robbinsdale, Nonna Rosa’s Ristorante Italiano closed its doors for the last time.
Though the business has changed hands over the years, it held on to its title as a local favorite.
West Broadway in Robbinsdale is known for its eclectic mix of businesses, and Nonna Rosa’s fit the bill.
Husband-and-wife duo Tina and Francesco Suglia opened up Nonna Rosa back in 2010. Tina grew up in the Twin Cities restaurant scene, while Francesco is a chef from Italy.
Tina Suglia said Robbinsdale was the perfect spot for their business. Located on West Broadway, it had the space and patio they wanted, and of course, her grandparents lived there.
“It was also kind of at the nexus of a lot of really great other local communities,” she said.
Closing its Doors
After ten years in business, the Suglia family decided to sell and move to Arizona. Suglia said Francesco was looking to expand his cooking skills, and owning a business was grueling work in 2020.
“We don’t have any interest in it anymore, but it was our lives work,” Suglia said. “It was something that we built with love, and sweat, and tears.”
Since then, the business changed owners twice. Ultimately, on Saturday, June 21, it was open for the last time.
Employees learned days before, but Suglia, who no longer is involved with the business, learned from a Facebook post.
“I didn’t realize how hard it would hit me, because that was our life’s work,” Suglia said. “We spent a lot of time there, and we love the community. The impact of everyone’s comments really made us miss that.”
But Suglia knows the restaurant industry is hard.
Current owner Jason Lyons told CCX in a statement that decreasing sales and rising costs led to the closure.
“Like many restaurants in this uncertain economy, we are seeing decreased sales and increased expenses, even more so this year,” he said. “We also have been facing increased repairs with this aging building and equipment making continuing impossible. I am proud to have been able to provide jobs for our people and to serve this community for as long as we did.”
A notice on the door of Nonna Rosa’s tells the community that it is closed.
‘Stayed Until the End.’
Server Tony Perrozzi was hired when the Suglias owned Nonna Rosa’s. He stayed for both owners after, and said every one of them really cared about the business. Those connections kept him there, even though he knew foot traffic was down.
“Here I am, eight years later,” Perrozzi said. “Stayed until the end.”
Perrozzi’s wife also worked at the restaurant for a much shorter time. He said he believes there were about 15 people on staff. As a Robbinsdale resident, he said working for a family-owned shop a mile from home was perfect.
“Getting to meet people and being a part of the community was just excellent,” Perrozzi said.
He said he’s going to miss his regulars. Some he could count on every Wednesday for lunch. Others, a few times a month.
Some of those customers’ orders were ingrained in his brain, so much so that Lyons would be cooking them when they walked in the door.
“I can go to the grocery store with ten things on my list, and forget five of them. But I’ll remember that somebody doesn’t take such-and-such on the side, or wants a different sauce on their food every time they come in,” Perrozzi said.
Server Tony Perrozzi speaks fondly of his past and present bosses. Perrozzi’s been a server at Nonna Rosa’s for eight years.
New Ventures in the Southwest
Though Nonna Rosa’s is closing its doors, those looking for similar menu items from the Suglia family can find them in Arizona.
Tina and Francesco just opened their new restaurant venture, Tre Bicchieri, in Glendale this month. Suglia said she’s already seen a few Minnesotans stop by.
