Lou founded Attilio’s Restaurant on N. Salina St. in Syracuse in 2009 as a way for him to share his family’s traditional Italian recipes with his friends, family and his community. He had dined at many Italian restaurants around the world, particularly in NYC, and dreamed of bringing the same fresh, authentic Italian cuisine to his hometown. He envisioned emulating the festive, hip vibe he enjoyed so much in many of the restaurants he visited.
As a successful business owner in Syracuse, Lou knew he needed to make sure the numbers made sense. So he grabbed a cocktail napkin and began to scribble on the back. As a result, Attilio’s Restaurant and Bar on N. Salina was founded, named after his grandfather, Attilio, as a way to honor him for the huge impact he had on his life growing up. Attilio was a man who worked hard, loved family, had many friends and enjoyed life to the fullest. Lou realized his grandfather’s essence was the vibe he was seeking for his restaurant.
When the opportunity to move Attilio’s from N. Salina to the former Julie’s Restaurant space on James St. arose (after the unfortunate death of Julie’s owner, Karen White) Lou decided to not only relocate the restaurant, but to take Karen’s Catering under its wing as well. He brought in partners who had years of restaurant experience, and after a complete (and stunning) renovation of the interior (by Sigourney Interiors) the restaurant opened in the Fall of 2017.
Attilio’s has quickly become the go-to place to enjoy delicious, home-made Italian cuisine, engage in a festive bar crowd, and be pampered by a friendly, professional staff.
