Thank You For 33 Years!

A huge "thank you" to our beautiful community for making our 33rd annual anniversary event a success.  This years celebration was the first of its kind as we served up our famous .99 pasta take-out style. And thanks to your support, we even set a record in pounds of pasta and hand-rolled meatballs sold.  Area youth ministries who blessed our staff during the aftermath of our fire were our cause for raising funds this year and you, our loyal community made it happen. Our makeshift kitchen included a few tables under a tent along with our catering truck parked just behind our new restaurant construction site.  It was a sweet reunion to have the Papa Joe's family of old employees back together again and we had a blast!  To our extended Papa Joe's family, our customers, it was great to see you all, it is because of you that Papa Joe's has had a reason to celebrate for the past few decades.  Your smiling faces and and encouraging words have touched our hearts and we are so thankful to call you our friends!  We look forward to our next celebration, the grand opening of your new Papa Joe's Restaurant, refined by fire! Thank you for 33 years!

.99 Dinners To Celebrate 33 Years

Papa Joe's Restaurant will be celebrating its 33rd anniversary tomorrow, October 7th, 2014. Every Fall has marked another year for the iconic restaurant and since the 80's this has been cause for a huge, community wide festival hosted by Papa Joe's. Tomorrow marks the 33rd year of business for owners Joe and Donna and although their restaurant was destroyed by an attic fire back in January, the tradition is not to be missed.  The festivities of years past have included Italian cart rides, face painting, pony rides, music, and performances of all kinds and of course, the famous .99 spaghetti!  This years anniversary celebration will be much more quiet and in fact, the most humble ever.  Instead of the usual, patriotic festivities, Papa Joe's Catering will set up a drive thru serving the most scrumptious pasta and garlic bread around for only .99, that is right...dinner for less than a dollar!   Perhaps the most beautiful part of this annual event is that it has always been about giving back to the community, each year a charity is chosen to benefit from the proceeds.  This will never change!  More than ever, it is the heart of Papa Joe's to contribute to the wonderful people of Brooksville!  Hernando county youth ministries will benefit this year.  Door prize tickets will be available to further support the ministries and you need not be present to win.  Prizes include game tickets, flat screen TV's and more.  Papa Joe's t-shirts and his famous meatballs will be available for purchase as well.  The Capricci's Gift Shop will be open for browsing and will hold a store wide sale.  The event is to be held at the original Papa Joe's site for drive thru, cash only service.  Come out and get your Papa Joe's pasta fix and support our great community!

Tampa Bay's Wedding Catering

Papa Joe's recently attended the bridal expo in Citrus county at the Central Florida State College.  Papa Joe recognizes the importance of every detail for a bride and grooms special day.  He is an expert in the kitchen, creating scrumptious recipes, and has equally perfected the logistics involved in successfully catering an event.  The professional, experienced staff at Papa Joe's is passionate about providing beautiful tablescapes and top notch service.  Joe and his team are the industry leaders within the Tampa Bay Area and boast versatile menus fit for all weddings and events.  Call Papa Joe and discuss your wedding vision and anticipate an exciting and fitting menu designed "Justa For You".

Papa Joe (352)799-3904

www.papajoes.org

Annual 4th of July Party

Papa Joe's has closed in honor of Independence Day and held an annual employee party for as long as I can remember.  This year, we may not have a restaurant to close however, the tradition of gathering the Papa Joe's family remains!  Since our tragedy, I have realized how easily we take things for granted and how important it is to appreciate even the littlest things in life.  This years 4th of July party was extra special and we look forward to many more!

Papa Does House Calls!

Papa Joe's does house calls!  Why not plan a summer gathering at your home?  With the help of Papa Joe's Catering, its a sure success.  Customize your menu with Joe's creative and expert planning at (352)799-3904

Papa Joe's Refined by Fire: Premiere Wedding Catering

Papa Joe's Refined by Fire: Premiere Wedding Catering: Planning a Florida wedding?  Papa Joe's Continental Catering is the premiere caterer in the Brooksville, Florida area.  With over ...

Premiere Wedding Catering

Planning a Florida wedding?  Papa Joe's Continental Catering is the premiere caterer in the Brooksville, Florida area.  With over thirty years experience, the catering team at Papa Joe's is the trusted choice for your event.  Impeccable, professional, and friendly staff guarantees the highest quality in service.  The menu offerings are expansive and receive rave reviews from guests.  Papa Joe's Continental Catering of Hernando County is a full service catering company offering extensive components for your special day.  There is a sure value in choosing a reputable, trusted caterer for your Florida wedding.  Papa Joe has a flare for creative cooking and his team includes catering designers who transform food tables into gorgeous displays of culinary art.  Your special day comes but once in a lifetime, choose Papa Joe's and gain complete confidence in your catering experience!

Appetizer Table

Alamena Chicken

Carving station- Beef brisket

                    

Check out this wedding and see the quality for yourself on Papa Joe's Catering facebook page.
Or give Joe a call at (352)799-3904

Presenting the Papa Joe's scholarship

Papa Joe has a heart of gold.  Even in light of his restaurant catastrophe, he can still be found consistently blessing the people of our great community.  From feeding the homeless, to sponsoring youth leagues, and even awarding scholarships!  Three years ago, Papa Joe's debuted its scholarship program where one hernando county student is awarded $500 to help jump start their college career.  This years recepient is Katlyn Hern of Hernando High School.  Katlyn is a senior enrolled in the culinary arts program with plans to further her education in the field, upon graduation at Valencia college in Orlando.  It is with great pleasure that Papa Joe along with head chef Ryan Felice, presented Katlyn with this years scholarship award.  Congratulations Katlyn Hern, may your future abound with unimaginably wild success!

The Papa Joe's Family

The restaurant industry is dubbed with the notorious reputation of having the largest turnover rate of any other profession.  A constant problem among restaurant management is the ongoing need of training new hires and scheduling because of this high rate of employees coming and going on a whim.  Papa Joe's knows very little of this problem as most of the employees were seasoned, long time members of his restaurant team.  Joe and Donna along with general manager, Jeannie, made it their personal goal to not only manage a restaurant and a diverse group of employees but also to act with compassion in human resources.  In short, when an employee was faced with a problem in personal life or on the job, they were eager to help in anyway possible.  Papa Joe is a man of second, third, and sometimes fourth chances.  His convictions are true and don't allow him to just give up on people easily.  Joe, Donna, and Jeannie have a nature that compels them to highlight peoples strengths and strengthen their weaknesses.  This is certainly not the average in the common restaurant workplace.  Because of the family style management, the culture among employees mirrored this family dynamic and the result was a group of long time co-workers who built strong relationships.  

So, to all my Papa Joe's sisters and brothers, you guys rock!  I am so glad to have had the opportunity to know each of you.  The friendships that we grew over the years are genuine and not only confined to the work place.  We could read each other like a book, we came to know each others mannerisms and could see right through to each others hearts.  We celebrated each others accomplishments, encouraged each other through struggles, cried together, and laughed a lot.  Through weddings and divorce, births and deaths, conflict and amity we've been by each others side.  Papa Joe's brought us together and fire can't keep us apart.  Here's to the best work family around!  Love you guys!

Spirit of Survival

Papa Joe grew up in the mountains of a tiny town in Sicily and immigrated to New York with his mother in his teenage years.  His lack of fluency in the English language proved to cause difficulty in finding employment once he reached American soil.  After much exhausting job searching, Joe stopped in at a tiny pizzeria and landed his first job.  The title of "dishwasher" usually doesn't spark much excitement in the average joe, but for Papa Joe, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. The work ethic his mother had instilled in him made it only natural for him to exceed the expectations of his position and gain the unannounced prize for MVP.  Little did he know that this was only the debut to the wildly successful restaurant and catering entrepreneur he would become.  Joe moved to Florida where he met his wife, Donna and together they began the journey of restaurant ownerhip in 1981. A tiny end unit in a strip plaza was the humble home of "Papa Joe's". On the outskirts of smalltown Brooksville, surrounded with a population that consisted mostly of cattle, the local naysayers thought the idea of an Italian restaurant would certainly fail.  But for Joe, optomism and determination was breed into him by his precious mother since birth and this was the driving force that pushed him to believe in himself and overcome obsticles.
Today, after nearly 33 years, Papa Joe is still in business!  He thrived in that tiny end unit, bought the entire building and grew a full service catering business.  A huge community supporter, an iconic part of society, and home to around 50 employees, Papa Joe has become a staple in Hernando county.  On Janurary 24th fire destroyed his restaurant building, but his spirit wasn't broken.  Within weeks, he attained a temporary kitchen and is pressing on with passion.  While his restaurant is gone, his focus is on catering and special events as he looks forward to rebuilding on the original location.

Host a small dinner party or a massive event!  With Papa Joe's as your caterer, its a sure success!
Check it out here or call (352)799-3904

Open For Take-Out!

The wait is over!  Today I proudly announce that Papa Joe's is OPEN FOR TAKEOUT!  Joe and his loyal team is now accepting your family style orders available for pick up from his kitchen at the Quality Inn on highway 50 at I-75.  Satisfy your cravings for authentic Italian cuisine with the taste that only comes from chef Papa Joe.  Orders can be placed at (352)799-3904 and are accepted with at least 24 hours advance notice.  Order today and pick up tomorrow!  Choose from family sized pans of lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, chicken soprano, fresh salads, cheesecakes, or whatever suites your fancy!  It would be our pleasure to once again prepare your dinner and see you, our valued and missed family of customers!  Mention that you saw it here on Papa Joe's blog and receive a FREE gallon of fresh brewed tea with your order, because we value our fans!

Check us out at www.papajoes.org
Telephone (352)799-3904

The Backbone

This is the portrait of an excellent leader! Its only been recently that I began to understand the true qualities of effective leadership and Jeannie fits the bill for so many of them.  Leading and managing is all about empowerment and encouragement and to successfully contribute these two basic elements is more than half the battle.  She told me years ago that her job required her to wear many hats and to wear the right hat for the occasion and this holds true.  When dealing with an eclectic staff of 45, she juggled role play as friend, boss, mom, counselor, nurse and law.  She is consistent in her character, quick to forgive, and eager to lead.  Jeannie Cameron is the general manager of Papa Joe's and has worked by Joe's side since the beginning.  She started as a dishwasher and moved up through the ranks until reaching the top.  Working "for" Jeannie was to work "with" her, she was never afraid to tackle anything needing done.  She is a jack of all trades, loyal through and through and a straight shooter.  Her compassion for others is astounding, even admirable!  It is her nature to bring a smile even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.  Since our tragic fire, Jeannie's diligence has not ceased and her versatility has only grown. Here's to Papa Joe's backbone...Jeannie!  Job well done!

Count on Jeannie and Joe for your next catered event at your location or ours!www.papajoes.org or give them a ring at (352)799-3904.  Your continued support is much appreciated!

To Go? What Do You Think?

Papa Joe and Donna need your feedback on the idea of taking orders for family style take out.  As many of you may have heard, Joe is renting a kitchen at the Quality Inn at Highway 50 and I-75 that he has been using for catering preparation.  The idea is to also begin accepting family sized, preordered meals for takeout from this location.  It would mean so much to hear from you, our valued and missed customers!  What do you think?  Please post your comments!!

Lifted by Compassion

Grace World Outreach Church held a fundraiser to benefit the Papa Joe's Employee Relief Fund this afternoon.  The event included fall off the bone, finger licking good, BBQ ribs and smoked chicken dinners as well as tons of donated raffle items.  There was so much love from the volunteers who worked so hard to make this a success.  As a displaced employee of Papa Joe's, it has been an enormous blessing to watch the community embrace us in our time of tragedy.  The prophetic words, "the best is yet to come" were spoken over us throughout the day and set a theme of hopeful faith in my heart.  A huge thank you to everyone who made this event possible and to all the supporters of the cause.  The heart and servant spirit of this great community has been revealed in beautiful character.  I am totally inspired, thankful, and blessed!

Papa Joe's Hardhat Beauties

A few days after the devistating fire, I drove out to the burnt up restaurant just to reflect and process the reality of what had taken place.  As a long time employee, Papa Joe's had become so much more than just a source of income to me.  This was my home, a place where deep bonds were built, where successes were celebrated and broken spirits were lifted.  I stood looking at the ramshackled, scorched restaurant feeling defeated.  As I walked to the back of the building, three of my coworkers came stumbling out of the wrecked building wearing hard hats and boots.  The girls in the picture had entered the rubble in hopes of recovering Papa Joe's original pizza paddle which was never found.  However, they did have some random items like a few loose pieces of silverware and a pan that was totally black from fire and smoke.  The sight of this trio in cowboy boots, covered with soot and proudly announcing the recovered (yet almost worthless) items they rescued replaced my broken spirit with laughter. I love these girls!

Name Your Favorite Dish

Those of you who know Papa Joe's know that the menu offerings were plentiful!  With five pages full of dinner options, it's amazing how many of our regular customers consistently ordered the same entree, every time...for years!  Papa Joe's signature dishes included Chicken Soprano and Seafood Jambalaya, both tantalizing!  And of course his famous meatballs and authentic Italian cheesecake were hands down THE BEST around.  Tell us your pick for the most mouthwatering dish at the restaurant.  We want to know from you what absolutely, positively, must be on the menu when we reopen.  

Papa Joe's Catering

Papa Joe's is still open for catering and party pans!  From small house parties to formal weddings, Papa Joe's is your ace in the hole for your catering needs.  Our venues include a beautiful garden courtyard and an enormous banquet room complete with an atrium and bar.  Contact Papa Joe to schedule your personal tasting!  (352)799-3904

Calling Creativity

Papa Joe is pressing forward towards a new and improved restaurant!  On the existing slab, with sidewalk chalk in hand, Joe's team met with the architect to discuss ideas for the new building. Creativity and interesting features are a given for this project!  Topics of discussion included an outdoor pergola, a bar area, exposed rafters, and fountain features.  You, Papa Joe's followers, are the center of interest for the entire endeavor.  What do you envision for your new restaurant?  Please share your thoughts with us, we would love to hear them!

A Wedding with Papa Joe's

Over the weekend we had the pleasure of catering a sweet wedding.  The event was held at Dade City's Garden Club with the ceremony outside under grandfather oaks and blossoming camellias and reception to follow inside the quaint, historic venue.  The weather was perfect and almost as beautiful as the bride.  With around 70 on the guest list, the marriage celebration was intimate and comfortable. Connie from "A Special Occasion" did a brilliant job of designing and setting the tables, she always gets it just right!  Cocktail hour took place on the manicured lawn where Papa Joe's bartender served the crowds favorites, chilled moscato and ice cold beer.  Mouth-watering appetizers like duxelle stuffed mushrooms and mediterranean bruschetta were showcased on ornate silver platters and crystal dishes.  Following the hour of bubbly, tapas, and mingling, the party moved inside for dinner and dancing.  Muted yellow satin sashes and long stemmed roses set a cheerful, romantic ambiance.  Dinner was served buffet style where Papa Joe's culinary masterpieces were the subject of rave reviews from the crowd.  Penne alla vodka, haricot vert, and chicken soprano were among the scrumptious lineup. Wedding and special event catering is a specialty of Papa Joe's!  Uncompromising quality, exceptional service, and attention to detail make Papa Joe's catering a win every time.

Guess why Papa Joe is grinning from ear to ear.

Todays UPS delivery to Papa Joe's temporary kitchen was like Christmas morning for a kid.  Joe, and his longtime chef, Ryan ripped into the box with childlike anticipation and immediately put it together and tried it out.  Can you guess what was in the box?  

A few hints:  They have been cooking full catering menus for up to 200 people with the most basic of kitchen tools.  (Imagine peeling a pound if garlic cloves by hand.) The tool allows for a certain prep task to take minutes, compared to hours when done by hand.  It's not an automatic vegetable peeler, although someone should invent one of those.  

Is it a:

Food processor

Pasta press

Cheese shredder

Or commercial can opener

WHO CAN GUESS IT?

Answer:

Yep... It's the cheese shredder that got these boys so excited today.  A man and his toys!

Cast Your Design Vote!

Demolition of the old Papa Joe's is complete.  Now the excitement of designing a brand new building has begun.  We want to know what you would like to see in the design of the new Papa Joe's.  Cast your vote today.  To vote, scroll to the bottom of this blog page and click on "view in web version", on the top left choose a design theme and click "vote".  Share with friends, as we would like to hear from all our Papa Joe's fans!

Secret Recipe Reveal

 From the first days of opening the restaurant Joe, Donna, and Mommy (joe's mother) began writing their signature recipes on index cards and filing them in a roledex. Many hand written by mommy, Joe kept them locked in the vault next to the cash.  Everything was made from scratch in small batches, so the exact recipe had to be followed for consistency.  As the restaurant went up in flames, almost everything was destroyed however, the recipes were not a casualty.  Firefighters retreived the vault after the fire to find most of the contents ruined, yet the recipes survived with little more than singed edges. 

Papa Joe's youngest son, Giovanni, grew up in the family's restaurant.  It was an ordinary day in the kitchen when Giovanni asked his dad to make him lunch.  Joe was busy prepping for the day so he grabbed a few ingredients that were on hand and threw them together.  Unbeknownst to him, he had just created a dish that would stamp his menu for years to come.  Little Giovanni's impromptu lunch became "Chicken Gio" and has been on the menu ever since.  For a culinary treat, try this at home.

The secret recipe reveal:

Chicken Gio

In a skillet heat olive oil, sautée chopped onions and fresh chopped garlic. Add chicken breast (cut into chunks)and fresh rosemary.  Add a little chopped tomato and calamata olives. Sautée until chicken is cooked through, then add penne pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Finish with grated pecorino cheese.  Enjoy!

A culinary delight, "Justa For You".

Chef's Art

To be a chef is to be an artist.  The plate as the canvas, ingredients the palate, and you...the audience.  As with all art, it's influenced by the experiences of the artist, it tells a story.  Joe grew up in the mountains of Italy, immigrated to New York and then married a southern girl from Alabama. His mothers heirloom recipes influence his authentic Italian style in the restaurant.  For catering, the fusion of Italian, southern and northern techniques bring mouth watering masterpieces.  The culinary creation in the photo is Papa Joe's tenderloin crostini made with leek and shiitake mushrooms and herb crusted tenderloin steak.  Art never tasted so good!

Dear Brooksville, Your The Best!

A huge "thank you" to our amazing community!  Because of your support, the Papa Joe's Spaghetti Fundraiser was a great success this past Sunday. The event was hosted by our friends at Hillside Community Church and they did an upstanding job.  When I arrived, I was greeted with hugs and smiling faces from the hard working volunteers that worked the fund raiser.  For as long as I can remember, every Wednesday at the restaurant there was a standing order for pizzas that Papa Joe donated to the youth group at Hillside Community Church.  This event is proof positive of the evidence of good seed sewn into the community. The great people of the church ran with the opportunity to reach out to us in our time of need and our hearts have been touched by their support.  Car by car, some of our most loyal customers pulled in to give to the cause and to satisfy their taste buds cry for Papa Joe's food.  Joe used his temporary kitchen to make up the spaghetti and his signature, hand-rolled meatballs.  For the displaced employees, the meal tasted like home.  It was so satisfying to see the familiar faces of our beloved regular customers, our friends.  Brooksville, you are the best!

Chef Papa Joe

Papa Joe expanded his restaurant to include continental catering years ago.  He began small and has successfully grown into a full service operation with a reputation that proceeds him. He's composed diverse menus and recipes such as Hawaiian, Latino,Indian, Mexican, and Bar-b-que.  Catering presents an opportunity for culinary creativity in recipe and presentation.  Joe, along with Jeannie and Giovanni, has embraced the art of catering and honed this segment of the trade toward superiority in our tri-county area.  Catering is like an away game.  Its an imprivisation of making all the elements of the restaurant mobile and functioning just right and on time. The photo above is Papa Joe preparing one of his signature dishes that has received rave reviews, sun-dried tomato mango chicken.  The catering side of Papa Joe's is keeping us afloat while our restaurant is out of commission.  Now, more than ever, it would be our pleasure to cater to your event needs.  For info (352)799-3904

Saluting Pillars

Among a heap of chaotic rubbish, twisted metal and shattered glass, eleven pillars proudly stand tall, undisturbed and seemingly in disregard of the fate of their counterparts.  Fire engulfed and consumed this place leaving everything it touched destroyed, yet those pillars remain uncompromised. Pillars are significant in architecture as they hold the massive weight of a roof, in ancient hieroglyphics they represent stability, in the Bible they signify strength. As I look at the devistation of our restaurant, I cant help but focus on those pillars and what they represent.  As if they stand at attention reminding us that our strength comes from God and he is the source of our stability. God is the pillar within us that holds us up when we can't stand on our own.  The Papa Joe's family as well as the entire community suffered a great loss when our building fell however, that building was not the source of our strength and stability as that comes from above.  Our building will be rebuilt upon the remaining foundation and our roof will once again be held up by those eleven pillars that declare hope. Papa Joe's will rise again with renewed strength and will again serve as a pillar to the community.