Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering

What Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering does

Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering is a family-owned Italian fine dining and banquet operation headquartered at 2740 Monroe Avenue in Rochester, New York, serving the Rochester metropolitan area. The business is operated through MBC Rochester LLC and led by founders Mario and Flora Daniele alongside sons Anthony and Danny, with Mario's roots tracing to the Abruzzi region of Italy. The core offering is a full-service dine-in restaurant featuring authentic Abruzzi cuisine (capellini, penne, lasagne, chicken, fish, steakhouse selections) complemented by a weekly Sunday Champagne Brunch that has earned local "Best Brunch" recognition over 20 times. Adjacent revenue layers include comprehensive banquet and catering services across five distinct use cases — weddings (up to 250 guests), funerals, corporate events, private celebrations, and Sunday brunch — supported by 3,820 sq ft of ballroom space and full-service infrastructure (servers, china, AV equipment). Consumer packaged goods lines (Mario's Pasta Sauce in Marinara, Vodka, and Three Cheese variants; Mario's Pretzellini Pasta Sticks) extend the brand into online and supermarket retail distribution, complemented by cookbooks and a cross-valid gift card program across the Daniele family portfolio (Bazil, Mario's Italian Steakhouse & Catering).

Revenue is generated through unit-priced banquet packages (wedding packages $39.90–$62.90/person with Friday $4,000 and Saturday $8,000 F&B minimums; funeral packages $355–$1,750; station receptions $19.95–$39.95), a la carte dining, off-premise catering pickup/delivery within Monroe County (delivery minimum $30 or 10%), direct-to-consumer CPG e-commerce with U.S.-wide shipping for pasta sauce ($11.97/3-jar packs), Pretzellini ($3.99/can to $52.99/16-pack), and cookbooks ($24.95 each or $39.95/pair), plus gift card sales. All banquet pricing carries a 20% facility/service charge and 8% NYS sales tax. The flagship Monroe Avenue restaurant was closed in 2024 for redevelopment by the Daniele family, with gift card redemption routed to Bazil Restaurants and Mario's Italian Steakhouse & Catering during the closure period.

Name

Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering

Legal name

MBC Rochester LLC

Website

https://mariosit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering is a family-owned Italian fine dining and banquet operation in Rochester, NY, serving weddings, funerals, corporate events, and individual diners with authentic Abruzzi cuisine, plus a retail line of pasta sauce, Pretzellini pasta sticks, and cookbooks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Restaurant & Catering Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK), Family-Style Restaurants (THAFACAC)

Keywords

• Italian fine dining
• Banquet catering services
• Wedding reception packages
• Jarred pasta sauce
• Italian restaurant catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Dining: Dine-in service at 2740 Monroe Avenue location with a la carte menu, family-style service, and special event dining. Operating hours vary by season (Winter: Mon-Thu 5pm-9:30pm, Fri 5pm-10:30pm, Sat 4pm-10:30pm, Sun Brunch 10am-7:30pm; Summer: extended hours through 11pm).
2. Full-Service Catering: Full service catering with servers in uniform, full table set up including silverware, glassware and china. Includes wedding packages, banquet services, funeral receptions, corporate events.
3. Catering Pickup/Delivery: Simple pickup and delivery orders. Delivery within Monroe County with 24hr notice. Weekend delivery $60.00 minimum or 10%.
4. Pasta Sauce Retail: Mario's Pasta Sauce sold in jars (Original Marinara, Vodka Sauce, Three Cheese). Available at Hegadorn's Webster and online shipping anywhere in the US. 3-jar packs at $11.97.
5. Pretzellini Product Sales: Pretzellini Pasta Sticks sold online and at supermarkets. Original Sea Salt flavor $3.99/can, 6-packs $19.92, 16-packs $52.99.
6. Cookbooks: Mario's cookbooks sold online for $24.95 each or 2 for $39.95. Free shipping anywhere in the U.S.
7. Gift Cards: Mario's Gift Cards valid at all Bazil Restaurants and Mario's Italian Steakhouse & Catering. Available in $25, $50, $75, $100 denominations plus package deals with cooking class admissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering operates a full-service Italian fine-dining restaurant in Rochester, NY, offering a la carte lunch and dinner, family-style dining, and a Sunday champagne brunch buffet. The restaurant anchors a comprehensive banquet and catering operation featuring three ballrooms and semi-private dining rooms accommodating up to 300 guests for weddings, corporate events, funerals, and private celebrations. The Daniele family also sells branded consumer packaged goods—Mario's Pasta Sauce and Mario's Pretzellini Pasta Sticks—through online direct-to-consumer channels and select retail outlets.

Product overview

Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering is a fine dining restaurant operation with a portfolio of restaurant services and consumer packaged goods. The core offering is the dine-in restaurant experience at 2740 Monroe Avenue, Rochester, NY, which serves as the anchor for an integrated suite of banquet and catering services including wedding packages, funeral receptions, corporate events, and private dining rooms. Adjacent to the restaurant, the company sells consumer products under the Mario's brand—Mario's Pasta Sauce (Original Marinara, Vodka Sauce, Three Cheese) and Mario's Pretzellini Pasta Sticks—both of which were recognized at the 2009 national fancy food show. Additional offerings include cookbooks, gift cards, and holiday-themed dining events. The business is family-owned and operated by the Daniele family, who also operate related brands Bazil Restaurant and Crab Shack.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mario's Pretzellini: Pasta sticks product line featuring Original Sea Salt flavor, with additional flavors including Spicy Pepper, Parmigiano Cheese, and Garlic Herb coming soon. Voted #1 best new product at 2009 national fancy food show.
• Mario's Pasta Sauce

Products and services

• Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering Dine-In Experience Full-service Italian fine-dining restaurant offering a la carte lunch and dinner, family-style menus, and Sunday champagne brunch buffet, plus three ballrooms (up to 3,820 sq ft) and semi-private dining rooms (Wine Room, Oak Room, Tower Room) for individual and group dining. Aimed at Rochester-area residents and visitors seeking authentic Italian cuisine.
• Full-Service Catering On-site catering with uniformed servers, full table setup including silverware, glassware, and china for weddings, corporate events, funeral receptions, and private functions held at Mario's banquet facilities. Aimed at event hosts seeking a single-vendor catering and venue solution.
• Catering Pickup and Delivery
• Wedding Reception Packages
• Funeral Reception Packages
• Banquet Station Receptions
• Sunday Champagne Brunch
• Mario's Pasta Sauce Jarred pasta sauce sold at supermarkets and online in Original Marinara, Vodka Sauce, and Three Cheese varieties, available in 3-jar packs at $11.97 and mixed combo packs. Aimed at home consumers seeking authentic Italian pasta sauce.
• Mario's Pretzellini Pasta Sticks

Quantifiable outcome

• Voted #1 best jarred sauce at 2009 national fancy food exploration show
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bazil RestaurantcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBazil - A Casual Italian Kitchen is a casual restaurant concept created by Mario along with his two sons Anthony & Danny Daniele, opened March 2002. Second location opened September 2004 in Penfield along with Southpoint Marina. Mario's Gift Cards are valid at all Bazil Restaurants.
• Southpoint MarinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner186-slip marina facility opened September 2004 in Penfield adjacent to second Bazil location with boat access to the restaurant.
• Crab ShackminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew restaurant concept opened by the Daniele family in Rochester in 2010. Mario's Gift Cards may be used at Crab Shack restaurant.
• Hegadorn's MarketminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMario's Pasta Sauce available at Hegadorn's supermarket location in Webster, NY. Customers encouraged to ask local grocers for the product.
• MBC Rochester LLCcoreOthersMBC Rochester LLC is the corporate entity that owns and operates Mario's Restaurant. Payment processing and corporate offices routed through MBC Rochester.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Olive Garden: Largest Italian full-service restaurant chain in the U.S. (Darden). A broad incumbent that competes with Mario's on Italian dining occasions and catering, but operates at a much lower price point and lacks Mario's fine-dining, banquet, and Abruzzi-provenance positioning.
• The Capital Grille: Premium steakhouse chain also operated by Darden. Comparable to Mario's Italian Steakhouse & Catering brand on the steakhouse segment, private dining, and corporate event/banquet capabilities, with a similarly premium positioning.
• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Premium steakhouse chain with private dining and event catering. Comparable to Mario's Italian Steakhouse positioning on premium steaks, banquet services, and event hosting, though at a national scale versus Mario's single-market presence.

Direct peers

• Buca di Beppo: Italian family-style restaurant chain specializing in large-format, shareable dining and banquet/party packages. Directly comparable to Mario's family-style dinner service and banquet-style catering offerings for groups and celebrations.
• Bertucci's: Italian casual dining chain with brick-oven pizza, pasta, and catering programs. Comparable to Mario's in Italian menu construction, full-service dining, and catering offerings, though with a more casual/pizza-forward positioning.
• Il Fornaio: Upscale Italian restaurant chain with multiple locations, banquet facilities, and a retail line of packaged Italian foods. Highly comparable to Mario's combining fine dining Italian cuisine, banquet/event services, and consumer packaged goods (olive oils, sauces).
• Maggiano's Little Italy: Italian-American full-service restaurant chain known for family-style dining, banquet facilities, and catering. Highly comparable to Mario's in combining a la carte dining, family-style service, and large-group event packages under a traditional Italian positioning.
• Romano's Macaroni Grill: Italian casual dining chain with full bar, private dining rooms, and catering programs. Comparable to Mario's across menu style, bar service, and event/catering capabilities, operating at a similar price tier but with broader geographic reach.
• Carrabba's Italian Grill: Italian casual dining chain operated by Bloomin' Brands. Comparable to Mario's in core Italian menu structure, full-service dining with bar, and event/private dining offerings, though at a more casual price point and broader geographic footprint.
• Bazil Restaurant: A casual Italian restaurant concept created by the same Daniele family in 2002 with two locations in Rochester, NY. It is the closest direct peer because it shares ownership, Italian menu positioning, gift card interoperability, and Rochester-area customer base, differing only in casual rather than fine-dining positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mario's Italian Restaurant & Catering