Regional Business Roundup: Southern BBQ, Cupcakes and Pizza

Norton

Norton House of Pizza Handing Down the Generations

Nick Anifantis’ father and uncle started the Norton House of Pizza more than 40 years ago, and now he’s getting ready to continue the tradition.

“They’re in their 60s and they’re heading towards retirement,” he said. “I’ll be taking over.”

Anifantis first started at the shop when he was 12, sweeping the floor and putting pizza boxes together. He first started cooking when he was 14.

“It was fun at the time, if a little demanding on a 14-year-old,” he said. “I learned a lot from my father and uncle.”

Anifantis is originally from Norton, growing up in town and went to Norton High School. His father and uncle grew up far away, though.

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Mansfield

Asia Grill and Sushi Entering Third Year

Bobby Lau first started in the restaurant industry in Rhode Island over 20 years ago, and now he’s still wearing multiple hats at the Asia Grill and Suishi in Mansfield.

“That was like a family restaurant, you do everything and have different hats, a manager, a dishwasher, janitor, that was a good experience,” he said. “You learned the different facets of the business, front back and all over.”

Lau said he first started working at the Bejing Garden, and started his own business in Mansfield about three years ago.

“Mansfield is a great family town,” he said. “I like the customers here. We’re very close to Boston and Rhode Island. I have people coming as far away as Cranston and New Bedford.”

He added the loyalty from his customers is a great feeling.

“People come from everywhere,” he said.

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Foxborough

Cupcake Charlie’s to Open Patriot Place Location on May 18

Cupcake Charlie's, an award-winning gourmet cupcake bakery with locations in Cape Cod, Plymouth and Newport, R.I., will open its third location at Patriot Place on Saturday, May 18th.

“We are so excited the word is out,” Patriot Place said on its Facebook page Tuesday. “Cupcake Charlie's opens Saturday, May 18th. Mark your calendars and get excited.”

The bakery’s grand opening at 262 Patriot Place will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Foxborough location will be Cupcake Charlie's fourth. The franchise also does business at The Mashpee Commons on Cape Cod, the Plymouth Waterfront in Plymouth and the Brick Market Place down in Newport, R.I.

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Wrentham
Wrentham's Commonwealth BBQ Owner Likes Working for Himself

Chris Vireira said he’s worked in the restaurant industry for 18 years, but always for someone else.

He said now that he’s opened Commonwealth BBQ in Wrentham, that’s all changed.

“It’s working for somebody else ultimately and at the end, you have very little to show for it,” he said. “In corporate, they’re not in the business of employees retiring, especially in the restaurant business. I decided to invest in myself and my family instead of working for another chain.”

Vireira opened Commonwealth BBQ two years ago Sunday. He said it’s been going very well. Statistically, 75 percent of restaurants close in the first year and 50 percent of those that don’t close in the second. Vieira said he’s been fortunate.

“It’s a very nice little town,” he said.

Commonwealth BBQ is located right in Wampum Corner, a short distance from the Wrentham Outlet Mall. Vireira said he’s thought of a way to utilize that. He said he’s now selling direction cards to the mall for a dollar, since people come by so often asking.

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Seekonk-Swansea

Tito's Mexican Cantina a Product of Food Diversity and Expansion

Richard Reavis started Tito’s Cantina with the idea no one in New England in the late 80s to bring Mexican food to the area.

“After three years we were in business, Taco Bell opened right to the side of us,” he said. “What that did was make us more diverse.”

Reavis said diversity helped him to expand. He said he knew a regular taco restaurant wouldn’t last, so he went into different avenues.

He said he first started in Middletown Rhode Island and moved to Seekonk in 2001. He said the original restaurant was a lot smaller.

“We opened a 400 square foot store with a drive through window,” he said. “It was a limited menu then until we expanded. It’s been quite a journey.”

Reavis said originally he expanded into other menu items, such as epanadas and tomales, but the winters hit him tough.

“It’s tough here in the winter,” he said.

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Attleboro

Cassey Lamothe opened the sports bar and performance venue Cassey's Place in Attleboro about seven months ago, and her general manager and father-in-law say it has been quite a ride.

"It's Cassey's gig; she's a full-time teacher and runs the place," her father-in-law and bartender Al Monty said. "The place is only open at night because she's off at night."

Monty said both Cassey and general manager Lindsay O'Hara changed the location a great deal since it was known as the Moose Cabin. The previous venue was a family restaurant with many tables and sectioned-off spaces for tables and booths. Monty said they've opened up the space to make another horse shoe-shaped bar and a space for DJs and live music.

"We now have 60 seats at the bar," he said. "We're geared for people who want to come to a pub, listen to loud music and watch a game. We always have the sound system hooked up to the game so you can hear the announcers, but other than that it's all music."

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