NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — An iconic Niagara Falls restaurant is headed to the auction block next month.
The Como has been operated by several generations of the Antonacci and Colucci families for nearly a century and is a place with almost as big a reputation as the Falls themselves.
So many memories
Locals will tell you of individuals who've had their christenings, weddings receptions, and funeral repasts all at the landmark eatery.
It's entirely plausible for the Pine Avenue institution, which has been in the heart of the city's Little Italy neighborhood for 95 years.
Whether a political function or a banquet for a sports team, it seems everyone in the Falls has a Como story.
"I had my wedding dinner in that room in 1955," said 88-year old Joe Nunnari, who has helped out at the restaurant since he was 21, primarily as their "meat man."
And when it came to celebrities who have visited Niagara Falls over the years, the list of those list who did not stop to dine at the Como might be shorter than the the list of those who did; many of whose autographed photos adorn the walls near the front entrance.
"I remember Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Joe Torre, and even ran into Miss America when she was here," Nunnari said.
The decision to sell
The current generation of the family, which has run the Como since it opened in 1927, announced in September of 2020 that they were putting it up for sale.
Pandemic-related restrictions imposed by the State of New York scuttled their profitable banquet business, and the border closure took away casual diners from nearby Canada.
Primarily, though, the reason for selling was that no one in the next generation of the family was interested in stepping in and taking over, according to their realtor, Lou Rizzo of Howard Hanna.
"These guys are in their 70s now, and how much longer would you want them to work? With the economy now picking up, it might be just the right time for this and for someone else to seize an opportunity," he said.
The pandemic also impacted the potential sale through conventional means, according to Rizzo, who noted banks were reticent to make loans for the purchase of restaurants.
So now, they'll use the the reach of the worldwide web for an online auction, which will be held April 11.
"We're hoping to get some excitement behind this and get a bidding process going and get the property sold for them," Rizzo said.
The restaurant plans to remain open through the closing of any sale, allowing patrons to have another opportunity to dine and to perhaps have another Como story to tell.