For 21 years, Banchetto has been a fixture in Nanuet’s dining scene, serving a variety of Italian-American cuisine options in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Owned by Eddie Almeida, the restaurant has evolved from a casual Italian eatery into a high-end dining destination.
“I was raised all my life with the mentality that if I wanted something, I had to figure out a way to do it on my own,” Almeida said, recalling the work ethic that carried him from his early years to owning Banchetto.
Almeida opened the restaurant with his former business partner 21 years ago after a long career running a fleet of approximately 50 food trucks. He never planned to enter the restaurant business, but the 9/11 attacks upended his food truck business. “From 9/11, I lost everything,” he said. His food trucks had previously operated in ports and airports under contracts with the Port Authority, but following 9/11, heightened security restrictions barred him from accessing those locations. Almeida ended up having to sell the food trucks, prompting him to pivot to the restaurant world. It was here where he found lasting success with Banchetto.
Today, Banchetto has an expansive menu, from South African lobster tails to prime steaks to pasta dishes. Almeida credits his kitchen team for delivering quality across such variety. “These guys here, they could work anywhere, because they could produce anything,” he noted.
Almeida attributes much of the restaurant’s lasting success to two aspects: consistency and high-quality customer service. “Our food is second to none, but I think the secret to the restaurant is the years that we’ve been here, the relationships that we’ve created with our loyal customers, and how we make them feel when they come in here,” Almeida said. “My job is to make customers feel like family.” With 80% of the staff having over 20 years of restaurant experience, Almeida has put in the work to deliver nothing but the best.
That customer loyalty has been hard-won, as Almeida says it takes time to earn customers’ trust but their loyalty is long-lasting. Once diners connect with Banchetto, many become regulars.
Still, running a restaurant comes with challenges. Instability in costs from food suppliers tops Almeida’s list: prices for ingredients can fluctuate sharply. Banchetto has resisted shrinking portion sizes or raising prices, which sometimes means absorbing the cost. Staffing is another hurdle. While Banchetto’s core team has been with the restaurant for decades, finding new employees who go above and beyond can be difficult.
Despite these obstacles, Almeida is focused on the future. “I feel that the restaurant is doing really well. But I still am driven to make the restaurant way better than it is right now, regarding service, regarding presentation, and regarding the ambience of the restaurant,” he said. Hopes for the future include expansion of the current restaurant space and possibly opening another restaurant. If he launches a new restaurant, it would be with long-time senior staff members.
For now, Almeida’s commitment is to keep the restaurant evolving while preserving the consistency and personal touch that have defined it for two decades.
Dining and Cooking