Salvatore’s Italian Gardens is one of Buffalo’s most elegant landmarks and has brought tourists to the Western New York area for over forty years. This beautiful restaurant is known world wide for its fine food, elegant service and elaborate décor. Joseph Salvatore and his family are excited to celebrate over forty years in the restaurant industry, continuing the family tradition into the fourth generation.

In the 1920’s, Joseph’s grandfather opened the first Salvatore’s on the east side of Buffalo. This was the start of a Buffalo dynasty. His sons, Russell and Anthony took over the running of the restaurant and built a thriving business in the city. In 1967, Russell, Joseph’s father, opened the current location Salvatore’s Italian Gardens on Transit and Genesee Street. This started as a small place that sat about sixty people.

As time passed, the restaurant went through many changes. It seemed as if every year or two a new addition would be added. The last addition opened in 2007. It is a splendid and glorious ballroom that accommodates up to six hundred guests. The restaurant’s elegant and over-the-top atmosphere thrived on the motto "We love to overdo it…" Joseph and his father developed a unique dining experience for any occasion. They also established magnificent ballrooms, which are the perfect setting for weddings, anniversary celebrations, birthday parties, corporate events and much more.

In 1995, Joe and Russ Salvatore expanded their horizons and ventured into the hotel business with the development of Salvatore’s Garden Place Hotel. The hotel originated with 49 rooms and through three major expansions has grown to 166 rooms. Additional hotel amenities include the Remington Lobby Lounge, an area for guests to enjoy a cocktail or quick bite to eat; The Courtyard, which hosts the mornings Continental Breakfast and offers guests an opportunity to relax in an environment outside of their hotel room; the Fitness Center, featuring cardio and weight equipment as well as a dry sauna and an on premise meeting room, which accommodates approximately 50 people. The meeting space can also include food service for your event, catered by Salvatore’s Italian Gardens and usually served in the spacious Courtyard.

In 2007, Joe purchased a parcel of land next to the restaurant. This is now their newest addition. Together Joe and Paula have created Salvatore’s Grande Bellamoré Ballroom. This ballroom has a capacity of over 600 people. This was designed to be one large ballroom or the space can be divided into two smaller ballrooms. There are two 10-foot screens that drop from the ceiling along with projectors for presentations. There are beautiful water walls behind each elevated bar and a Grande foyer with a mezzanine level and gorgeous stairwell, similar to a scene from Beauty and the Beast.

Joe has the pleasure of working with his wife Paula, who officially joined the business in the early 1990’s. Paula was a florist by trade and help was needed with Christmas displays at the time. The restaurant does a spectacular Christmas display every year and Paula is the driving force behind it. Each year the decorations change and features a different theme, Paula outdoes herself year after year! When they built the new ballroom, Joe and Paula took on the task of designing and decorating, and always keeps functionality in mind. Paula and her team are now responsible for all seasonal and display changes that take place at both Salvatore’s Italian Gardens and Salvatore’s Garden Place Hotel.

Joe has been working at the restaurant since he was 13 years old. He started helping in the kitchen after school and on the weekends. Joe’s philosophy is to "put people in the areas they are good at." He is in the process of teaching his children all the aspects of the business, but encourages them to expand in the areas that they enjoy and can begin to shine.

Joe and Paula have three children, who have all decided they want to work in the family business. Everyday they go to work with each other and their three children: Josette, Russell and Nicholas, the fourth generation of Salvatore’s to work in the family business. All of the children worked at the hotel or restaurant through their high school or college years and each left the Buffalo area for a brief time, only to return to their roots. They started at the bottom and are working their way up the ladder.

Joe’s daughter Josette, after graduating from college, moved to Chicago for 5 years. She performed in a dance company and is also a personal trainer. She met her fiancé there and will be getting married this October. She has been working in the office booking large parties or banquets. Russell spent his last two years of college at Florida International University. He worked at various restaurants and hotels during this time and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in restaurant and hotel management. He currently works with our chef on our dining room menu. He’s updated our wine list, which just received the Wine Spectator award. Meanwhile, both Josette and Russell have been learning the accounting and financial side of the businesses. Nicholas also transferred to Florida International University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in restaurant and hotel management. He is eagerly welcomed back home and everyone looks forward to bringing him on board with the rest of the Salvatore’s family.

The Salvatore Family is excited to continue on this journey, with the start of their eighth decade and with the addition of the fourth generation, we get a set of fresh ideas and a different way of looking at things. They are eager to continue the family traditions, including participating in the community. They have started encouraging more families to come to Salvatore’s by offering Sunday Brunches, including Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. At Easter our Brunch includes a visit with the Easter Bunny and, of course, during Christmas there is Brunch with Santa.

This summer, Salvatore’s Italian Gardens and the Salvatore Family will be at the Italian Festival, The Ride for Roswell and the SPCA’s Wine and Wags. They will we hosting a golf tournament to benefit Roswell Park and have been involved with the "Festival of Trees" that benefits Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Salvatore’s Italian Gardens and Salvatore’s Garden Place hotel is

the perfect destination for a romantic night out, a business dinner meeting or a family just looking to spend time together.