Thoughts of Working and Eating at Ferraro's

The that wrecked Ferraro's Restaurant in downtown Westfield got me thinking about the time I worked there as a high school student for a little while in 2004. It was my first true experience in the work force and I am glad that this was where I was able to get a start. I was very excited to work at a family Italian restaurant as a proud Italian-American.

Usually a shy person, I did not take much time opening up to the employees and owners of the restaurant. My job was to work at the take out counter at the front of the restaurant. The desk I patrolled was right in the area where the horrific fire stared. My job was to take orders over the phone, enter them into the computer, and hand the customers their food when they arrived while taking care of the financial transaction. Those task do not sound like anything too daunting, but try doing it perfectly in an extremely fast-paced and crowded restaurant and it will surely take a toll on the mind and body. The Ferraro family was so kind to me it made me enjoy every minute of my experience. I was certainly not the best employee to ever work the counter, but I made the best of it.

One of the best qualities of the restaurant was the atmosphere that the customers would experience as they entered the Elm Street entrance. One of the first things they would see is Mr. and Mrs. Ferraro smiling at you as if you were a regular participant at Sunday dinner with the family. Their main goal is to make the customers feel at home with honest and excellent service. The same kind of service that has been a staple of downtown Westfield since 1969. After Mr. and Mrs. Ferraro, their daughters Lina and Maria ran a part of the restaurant.

I chose not to mention the food at the top of this piece because I believe that it is just as important that you enjoy your meal in a friendly and relaxing environment. The food at Ferraro's is in a world of its own. Working there, I ended up eating dinner there multiple times during the week. Usually I would order a chicken parm sub, a personal pizza, or fried calamari. Since my departure into the working world, college, and other things, Ferraro's has remained a favorite among many. They have expanded the restaurant to cover almost an entire block of Elm Street. I have returned many times for lunch and dinner on special occasions and a good meal any time I find myself in downtown Westfield and feel hungry.

Many employees and customers have come and gone since I worked there seven years ago. While the Ferraro family may not remember me, I certainly remember them and the experience they gave me. I conclude with my sincere hopes that the restaurant gets up and running as fast as possible because it just wont be the same without 'Sunday dinner' with the smiling faces of the Ferraro family.