The Ropolo Family (L to R): Tyler Ropolo, Susie Ropolo, Gianni Ropolo, J. Eldredge Ropolo, with Ernest & Fitzgerald
Q&A with Hospitality Leaders Eldredge and Tyler Ropolo of Washington Street Hospitality
The Ropolo Family work together and operate five restaurants across four cities. The Ropolos, who own and operate Washington Street Hospitality, are the restaurant group behind the beloved Pasta Beach and Legami.
Pasta Beach was founded by Susie and Gianni Ropolo in 2002 and now has locations in Boston, MA, Providence and Newport, RI. The restaurants offer authentic dishes that reflect their travels and experiences throughout Italy and are beloved throughout the region. Their newest opening, Legami, serving contemporary Italian in Charleston, SC, has already made its mark within the Charleston restaurant scene.
Susie and Gianni’s sons, Eldredge and Tyler Ropolo have also become embedded in the family business. Together, the brothers have led the growth of their family’s restaurant group through leaning into their Italian traditions and heritage and growing their expertise through hands-on involvement. Now Director of Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Washington Street Hospitality, Eldredge is deeply involved in all front of house operations including crafting wine and food lists, working closely with managers and Executive Chef Andrea Congiusta to ensure guests receive an authentic Italian experience. Tyler serves as Creative Director and Head of Development at Washington Street Hospitality, where his passion for design has led to the revamping of the restaurant.
Eldredge and Tyler Ropolo share their story about running the family business.
Where did your passion for food and hospitality come from?
Eldredge: Growing up in Torino, Italy, my passion for the hospitality industry is in my spirit and a part of who I am today. Hospitality and making others feel at home part of Italian traditions, sharing the table, their home and stories with strangers and neighbors. Since middle school, I have loved hosting people and sharing part of my American culture with friends, creating unique experiences at our home in Torino. One of my first experiences that my brother and I organized was a Thanksgiving traditional dinner at our home in Torino for the international school. We created a traditional thanksgiving dinner with over 100 people, collecting proceeds that contributed to the building of wells in Burkina Faso, a cause that my brother and I were dedicated to for many years and hopefully in the future. Giving back to others in need is crucial to who we are as entrepreneurs. As the years progressed, I found myself, as the organizer and chef hosting dinner parties and connecting all our friends spread across two continents. I love bringing people together to smile, laugh, dance and share experiences -making everyone feel at home.
How has the customer changed since the first Pasta Beach restaurant opened? How have you changed with them? Have Millennials/GenZ/Gen Alpha affected your business?
Eldredge: I think over the years since we first started Pasta Beach the customer has evolved by being informed and globalized. When we first opened Pasta Beach a lot of people didn’t really cook international food from scratch at home. Nowadays with the help of the internet and especially social media our guests are making fresh pasta, and sourdough at home.
How do you navigate running a family business? What are the pros and cons that come with running a family business and how do you find a balance?
Eldredge: Navigating a family business can be an interesting adventure – journey. Working with my family can be quite fantastic and rewarding. Each member of the family contributes in a different way to the restaurant concept with unique gifts from creative, design to financial with one crucial family member being grounded, keeping it all together and within boundaries, especially when components start breaking away and going in different directions. Family is a melting pot of ideas, goals and common dreams, a journey together. The negative aspect is when disagreements happen, stubbornness occurs and the family unit gets stuck, unwilling to easily negotiate, each member wanting their own way at times halting the process because of familiarity.
The team has successfully launched multiple restaurants in new markets beyond Newport, including Boston, Providence, and Charleston. Share the ins and outs of how you’ve accomplished that.
Eldredge: I believe the most important lesson learned is that every town, city is different, and it is our job to adapt and understand what the guest’s expectations are. No one menu item is the same.
How did you select Charleston and the name of the restaurant, Legami?
Eldredge: Legami means bonds, ties and connections in Italian. Legami, most importantly in Charleston, because of our cousin, Don who is a longtime resident, lawyer and Legami partner in this beautiful city. We have so many connections between our first restaurant in Newport, our food, evolution and all Italian. Connecting Torino, Italian culture and design, to Newport, our summer stories and South to family in Charleston.
How many employees are part of the Washington Hospitality Group?
Eldredge: We currently have over 150 employees between all the restaurants.
How do you structure training across the group?
Eldredge: We have a standardized training schedule framework and then every restaurant has a specific training based on the needs of that restaurant as not every restaurant is the same in our group. From both the BOH and FOH training schedules and specifics change throughout each restaurant.
Now that the tariffs are in effect, have you and Executive Chef Andrea Congiusta had to change your sourcing and purchasing to ensure guests receive an authentic Italian experience?
Eldredge: All our restaurants will have to adapt and absorb the hopefully temporary situation that is happening today. Our restaurant concept from Rhode Island to Charleston is built around real Italian products we all love. There are no substations for this at our current restaurants. Products like Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma are irreplaceable Italian products. Our restaurants, their authenticity and dedication to everything Italian will adapt to the changing times.
How is AI supporting your restaurant operations and business overall?
Eldredge: The team has begun implementing AI into their systems to analyze sales trends, manage inventory levels and reduce food waste.
What design changes were made in the restaurants, and which design team did you work with?
Tyler: Legami is a more elegant space and venue than our Pasta Beach restaurants in New England, typically known for their wallpapered palm walls and beach ball designed lighting bouncing from the ceilings. Legami, at 492 King Street, Charleston is located in an historic structure with beautiful features in our upstairs dining area in place over a century of time and owners. The lighting is soft and for the most part is soft with earth tone painted walls, lined with handmade sconces from Italy, and an Italian artist painted an array of palms on the walls on the first-floor dining area walls. The fabrics on the curvy couches, in the lounge area upstairs are done in elegant textures in soft jewel velvet colors complementing the original plastered colored walls. The bar tables are topped with an elegant red Italian marble, handmade lampshades form a local Torinese artisan, elements that remind of interiors of familiar old Italian structures found throughout Italy, many elements left in place over the years of changes. From Pasta Beach – beach house style feeling to Legami – old world and Everything Italian — Both share a common element of style, simple and elegant.
Future Plans for Washington Hospitality?
Eldredge: At the moment our plans are to focus on the current restaurants and making what we have as perfect as they can be. We are just about to hit our one-year anniversary at Legami. But in saying this we are always open to new opportunities as they come and go at any moment. The right opportunity is always the right opportunity no matter when it arrives.
Dining and Cooking