Huntington Quarterly Summer 2022

The region’s beloved Italian restaurant reflects on its past while making big plans for the future. By Amanda Larch 45th Anniversary R OCCO’S

F orty-five years ago, F l ee twood Ma c dominated the air waves, StarWars premiered in theaters and Rocco Muriale Sr. opened the doors to his small Italian restaurant in Ceredo,West Virginia, for the first time. Rocco said he remem bers those first custom er s crowding Rocco ’s Ristorante, adding he couldn’t have picked a better location for his restaurant. “I’m that kind of guy

quaint little restaurant in this beautiful, peaceful, scenic setting was perfect.” About 15 years ago, he embarkedon thenext evolu tion of Rocco’s Ristorante: a frozen food line. “It was always a mystery to me how it was done,” he noted. “I was curious about that business, so I finally got together with a local guy to start making some product. I started making sausage first, then gradu ated into lasagna. I ended up with my own USDA plant. It’s been doing well.” What makes Rocco’s frozen food unique is not only what it has, like fresh,

that likes little hole-in-the wall joints,” Rocco said. “This place had something special that’s hard to put your finger on. I just knew it was perfect.”

Today Rocco Sr. and son Rocco Jr. are partners at the restaurant.

quality ingredients, but also what it lacks. “Most of the food in the frozen food business is just as cheap as they can possibly make it; there’s all kinds of tricks. I don’t have any gimmickry in mine,” Rocco explained. Rocco always hoped his family would be involved in the restaurant, and since he stepped down following

When Rocco had a chance to move a few years after first opening in 1977, he realized the area was perfect for his business; instead of relocating, he expanded into the space it occupies today. “As it turned out, locating in Ceredo was the best move I made,” Rocco said. “The place fit the town. A

S U M M E R 2 0 2 2

55

H U N T I N G T O N Q U A R T E R L Y