Vullo's Restaurant Closes Its Doors
By Kristen Johnson kajohnson@post-journal.comArticle Photos
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Vullo's Statement
ELLERY - At Vullo's Restaurant, the parking lot is empty and it's dark inside.
On the front door, a hand-written sign taped to the glass says only: ''Closed due to economic conditions. Thank you.''
The restaurant, located on Route 430 in Greenhurst, was a Chautauqua County icon for nearly 20 years. It closed on Saturday without warning.
In a news release issued Tuesday night, restaurant representatives said slow spending conditions locally played a role in the decision to close the restaurant, but Charles Vullo also said he wanted to spend more time with his granddaughter, Audrina, and the rest of his family.
''Vullo's has provided the community a unique dining experience six days a week for over 20 years -it was just time,'' restaurant representatives said.
A waitress at the restaurant, who spoke with The Post-Journal on condition of anonymity, said late Monday night the restaurant had closed with no notice to employees.
''One of my co-workers and I showed up for work at around 4 p.m. (Monday) and there was a sign on the front door and the side door saying the restaurant was closed due to the economy,'' the waitress said. ''I called another co-worker who had gone in to pick her check up at around 3:15 (p.m.) or so, and she was unable to get in to get her check.''
The waitress said Tuesday afternoon that telephone calls made by former employees to members of the Vullo family were going unanswered.
''They haven't told us how to get our last paychecks,'' she said. ''It's just a little weird, because on the 28th, the schedule for this week was posted as normal and we were all expecting to come in to work.''
A text message forwarded to The Post-Journal from a person close to the decision said, ''I don't know how people found out, but as of today (Tuesday), we are closed. We were advised not to tell anyone. I didn't even know until last Sunday.''
Vullo's opened in July 1989 and was a family owned restaurant. The restaurant offered a variety of dishes but focused primarily on Italian-American cuisine, specializing in veal, seafood, steak, chicken and pasta. Featuring more than 130 entrees, the restaurant quickly became popular and was well known in Chautauqua County and Western New York as a premier location for fine dining. Vullo's was also the ''in-house caterer'' with Summer Wind and Paradise Yacht Cruises.
The restaurant's more than 30 entrees were inspired by Vullo's homeland of Sicily and included seafood, beef, chicken, pasta, veal and homemade desserts. It was primarily operated by Charles and Carm Vullo and their children, Joe, Maria, Tommy and Anna.
For years, the restaurant was the site of birthday and anniversary parties, weddings, reunions and civic affairs as well as hosting many fundraisers at the restaurant.
At least one employee, however, says she is hurt by the way the restaurant closed its doors.
''I've talked to a lot of the workers, and the general feeling from us is that we put in a lot of time and effort to make their business succeed,'' the waitress said. ''We took holidays away from our own families to work. And for them to not tell us they're closing - it makes us feel a little hurt and betrayed.''
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maroongirl
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03-04-09 11:07 PM
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Wow. I got the heck out of Jamestown 3 1/2 years ago to move to Philly, and boy am I glad I did. WNY seems like it's kind of falling apart. Never cared for Vullos (I have eaten there a couple times), as it really wasn't the best food around. The lasagna was pretty awful, if *I* can be brutally honest. In fact, I can echo joseph27's comment of "if a person has never ventured outside of Jamestown then YES I would agree Vullos is high end". Saying that, I think it's totally unprofessional and really stinks that the employees were treated that way. Also, to leave a HANDWRITTEN note on a door with no warning? Extremely unprofessional. You'd think after many, many years of being in the service business there would be more common sense and class involved. It's too bad that the whole thing couldn't be handled more professionally.
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Brent1
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03-04-09 7:13 PM
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"Hare n hound" is my bestest... sweeeet..
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luthiecity
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03-04-09 5:54 PM
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That food ***** anyway have you ever heard of the ironstone?
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joseph27
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03-04-09 2:27 PM
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Look I'll be brutally honest here. . . As an Italian American I can say that I've had better food at the ball game. If a person has never ventured outside of Jamestown then YES I would agree Vullos is high end. I have just recently moved back to this area and I never remember the food at these places being so tastless. Either way I hate to see any business go under and individuals lose their jobs. Even if the last time I went to Vullos the steak I ordered still had marks from where the jockey was hitting it. My nanu's sauce blows anything made it that restaraunt out of the water. If I was an employee and that is how they treated me I would have taken a*****on the front stoop. Gogeeeeeeeeeeeeeem.
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KJohnson
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03-04-09 2:06 PM
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Shoestore: I'm not sure anyone can really relate the LaScala's fire to Chautauqua County and it's rediculously (sic) high unemployment rate. NYNana: I, too, have heard that LaScala's will rebuild, though I have been unable to confirm that for a news article.
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NYNana
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03-04-09 2:04 PM
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What if it isn't the economy, what if it is illness related that made this such a snap decision. We aren't in the Vullo family shoes so none of us really knows, including the employees. We shall miss them. We didn't go often but when we did, it was wonderful food, great servers and a good time. BTW LaScalla's is rebuilding from what I have heard.
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shoestore
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03-04-09 12:09 PM
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La Scala's, The Beachwood and now Vullo's! Maybe somebody should wake up and realize that Chautauqua County and its rediculously high unemployment rate is the PROBLEM! However PhilJullian is......look at a freaking map....Vullo's wasn't even in the City so City taxes had nothing to do with it (that is a whole other issue)! We have seen so many bars a resteraunts close that were family owned and operated for decades since the "smoking ban" and big brother deciding that he/she knows whats best for us! It is time to take back our State and get rid of people like Paterson and the lot of them in Albany/Mayville!
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PhilJulian
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03-04-09 10:23 AM
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Another victim of the Western New York economy. It's not surprising that a high taxes city like Jamestown would suffer the loss of business and industry. With a declining population we can't expect businesses like Vullo's to survive. We can expect more closings in the future until our politicians and voters wake up!
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gsrhodes
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03-04-09 9:20 AM
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Hammonddanyay, that's the problem with businesses today. The seem to expect employees to be loyal and happy to work and then the same businesses turn around and treat them like crap. If businesses want loyal, happy employees then businesses need to treat their employees with respect and decency. What Vullo's did was just wrong.
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joseph27
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03-04-09 8:18 AM
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The employees have a right to be ****** off. If I came into work and there was a note on the door, I would be snapping. As far as the food goes I've had better. Add this to the growing list of businesses lost in Jamestown.
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whocares1
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03-04-09 7:25 AM
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I hate to see Vullos close but at the same time I wasn't impressed with the food.The employees should have been notified in advance of the closing.Shame on you Charlie!
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pamkpamk55
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03-04-09 6:19 AM
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We're saddened at the loss of our favorite restaurant, but disappointed in how the employees were treated at the end.
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