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