With the recent opening (and revamping) of Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar in Davis Square, restaurant owner Joe Cassinelli has been exceptionally busy.
“I saw taking over the Rosebud space as an opportunity to create something unique and of value for the neighborhood,” Cassinelli explains to BostInno. The founder of Alpine Restaurant Group, which includes The Painted Burro, Posto and now, Rosebud, has certainly made his mark on Somerville’s Davis Square restaurant landscape
And now – with a Posto food truck and a second Posto brick-and-mortar location on the way – the restaurateur is poised to expand his footprint beyond Somerville’s borders.
Here, Cassinelli tells us how he spends his days running and managing restaurant operations in Boston.
How do you spend most mornings?
I wake up around 5 a.m. and start digging into the emails I received overnight before my son wakes up for breakfast. Then I head into the office to really start my day, and work on administration duties before the various meetings of the day start. The rest of the day rolls into managerial, contractor and all other sorts of meetings – and lately, I’ve been ending my day with service at Rosebud.
What are the top priorities on your to-do list right now?
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Financing Rosebud.
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Finalizing the layout for the soon-to-come Waltham location of Posto.
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Getting the Posto food truck up and running.
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Making sure the restaurants have everything they need to run smoothly.
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Go to bed.
What is the best part and the worst part about your day?
Honestly, I don’t think I have a worst a part of my day – I like my day. Of course, there are some ‘not so fun’ aspects like paperwork and payroll but as an entrepreneur, I’m a problem solver and take things in stride as they come my way – problems are solutions in street clothes.
The best part of my day though is definitely working with such great people at each of the Alpine Restaurant Group properties.
Why did you decide to revamp and reopen the old Rosebud Diner?
I live right up the street and saw a need for a casual family restaurant in the neighborhood and thought it was time someone filled it. Alpine Restaurant Group had already brought Mexican and Italian to the neighborhood and we were ready to take a stab at American too.
Where do you hope to take the Alpine Restaurant Group in the future?
Onward and upward. We’re currently working on the layout for the new Waltham location of Posto, as I mentioned earlier, and beyond that we’re always keeping our eyes peeled for restaurant spaces so that we can continue to expand as the opportunities present themselves.
If you could impart one piece of advice to our readers, what would it be?
“A goal without a plan is a dream” (Elbert Green Hubbard). If you can plan it, you can manage it and if you can manage it, you can do it. Beyond that I would say spend as much time with your family as possible.
What would you do if you were suddenly granted a day off from work tomorrow?
Hang out with my family.
If you weren’t answering my questions, what would you be doing instead?
Getting ready for service.
