Karen & Brian Zecchinelli selected for family-owned small business award

Vermont Business Magazine, Jun 01, 2005 by Herrington, Kate

Life is filled with routines that border on the extraordinary, and in many ways, dining is one of them. Most of us eagerly sit down to a meal at least three times a day, virtually every day of our lives. As a result, we keenly appreciate a diverse menu and friendly ambience. Whether fast food or slow, we want an experience that is somehow meaningful, and flavorful too. Affordability is no small issue, and we particularly value the server who treats us kindly. We can make it all happen at home, but if a local restaurant meets those needs, it commands our attention. One of Vermont's landmark eateries, the Wayside Restaurant in Berlin, has inspired keen community appreciation through its long years of serving the public. In recognition of its history as a family-owned and operated business, the US Small Business Administration (SBA) has selected Karen & Brian Zecchinelli's Wayside Restaurant and Bakery as the SBA 2005 Family-Owned Small Business of the Year.

"Working together as a family, the Zecchinellis help vide for the needs of the community, and in doing so, epitomize the heart of working America," said Charlie Summers, SBA New England Regional Administrator. "Small businesses like the Wayside reflect the kind of values that make our country great."

According to the Zecchinellis, the Wayside serves homestyle food to an average of 1,000 customers a day, every day. "The dining room is around 160 seats, with a kitchen that's actually bigger than the dining room," said Brian Zecchinelli. A walk through the Wayside's spacious kitchen reveals the energetic spirit of chefs, bakers, and line cooks as they move through their tasks. The space is airy and light. Loaves of freshly-baked bread, Parker House rolls and apple pies are cooling on countertops and racks. Mounted on a nearby wall a colorful poster displays heart-shaped cut-outs of eggplant, tomatoes, papaya and other fresh fruits and vegetables. The caption reads "Love is where you find it, cook with it."

The Wayside is another world, and it's a busy place. On a weekly basis, not less than eleven tractor trailers pull in with fresh produce, dairy products, meats and seafood. Potato deliveries are also big, coming in at 2,500 pounds a week. "We buy a lot of things from the back of the door too," Karen Zecchinelli said. "People come in with fiddleheads, we have fresh corn from Ellies in Northfield, and all our winter squash is grown in Hardwick." The Wayside's diverse menu offers more than 200 items, plus an additional list of specials for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, all new every day. With this kind of operation, loyal customers are almost a given, some of them arriving for coffee before the door officially opens at 6:30 a.m.

Part of the restaurant's ambience is Karen Zecchinelli, who started working at the Wayside when she was 12 years old. "It was great to grow up in the restaurant with the feeling of making customers happy, and it's still great," said Karen. "I always wanted to work at the restaurant, whether it was dishwashing, cashiering, busing, hostessing or waitressing."

Upon completing high school, Karen expressed her wish to work fulltime in the restaurant and was firmly advised by her parents, owners Eugene and Harriet Galfetti, to first graduate from college. After graduating from the University of Vermont, she again asked if she could come to work at the Wayside. According to Karen, Mr. Galfetti said, 'No, I think you should first work for someone else.'" She worked two years at the Vermont Federal Bank and, again she asked. Again, Mr. Galfetti suggested more outside work experience might be helpful. She worked at Solomon Smith Barney for a year and asked again. It was 1989, and this time the answer was yes. Karen has been working at the restaurant ever since, formerly as an employee and currently as a co-owner with her husband, Brian Zecchinelli.

While still single, the couple became distinctly aware of each other when Brian's mother and Karen's grandmother suggested they "get together." "When your parents start meddling in dating, you of course say no," Brian admitted. But later, as directors on the board of the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce, they realized they shared similar values and decided a first date might be in order. Having recently celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary, the rest is history.

In 1998, Brian and Karen purchased the restaurant and became second generation family business owners. "Having grown up in rural Vermont with Yankee pot roast dinners, roast pork on Sundays, going out and eating at the Wayside, and Mom ordering pickled tripe, it was real easy for me to get involved in a restaurant like this," Brian smiled. The couple avoids stepping on each other's toes by clearly delineating their specific jobs. He does the food ordering and all things related to the kitchen, and she does the dining room scheduling, billing, payroll and insurance.

With a master's degree in marketing, Brian particularly enjoys promoting the Wayside. For instance, the restaurant first opened in 1918, the same year the Red Sox won the World Series. For years, the couple said they'd roll their prices back to 1918 if the Red Sox ever won again. Last Year they were selling donuts and coffee for a nickel, and lunch for 35 cents. "We had close to 3,000 customers that day," Brian laughed.