Frances and Michael Geraci worked hard: Frances at the West Side Market and Michael at the Northern Ohio Produce Terminal. They loved each other dearly but were like oil and water, says grandson Bucky Spoth.
But in 1956, inspired by a pizzeria experience in Columbus, they came to quick agreement on the ride home: We’re opening an Italian restaurant with an open kitchen that makes customers feel like they’re part of the family. Not long after, Geraci's Restaurant was born.
Courtesy Geraci's
“My grandfather was a veteran — strict, militant and feared by many; my grandmother was loved by everyone,” says Bucky Spoth. “That is the dynamic of Geraci’s: the hard-nosed, no-frills Italian father and the sweet, loving mother who has nurtured so many as they came to eat or to work for her.”
Sixty-eight years later, Frances and Michael’s opposing strengths prove oil and water make a delicious mix. Now owned by daughter Marti Geraci Spoth and her husband Gregory Spoth, the flagship University Heights restaurant is operated by grandson Patrick Brown and has grown to four locations of its traditional full-service eatery and Geraci’s Slice Shop.
Growing up, Bucky Spoth tried to avoid working with his parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and “hundreds of friends.” Now, partnering with restaurateur Jason Beudert, he’s been instrumental in The Slice Shop Downtown, where the Geraci’s spirit meets New York slices and a fun, ’80s-themed, fast-casual dining room.
“My grandparents would think that it’s really cool that we’ve planted our flag in Downtown Cleveland,” Bucky Spoth says, “but they would caution us to not lose sight of who we are, to make sure we’re carrying out those traditions and to treat our customers right.”
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