Roma Italian Restaurant

What Roma Italian Restaurant does

Roma Italian Restaurant is a family-owned, single-location Italian restaurant operating in Dover, Delaware since 1973. Founded by Giuseppe Garramone, who brought 16+ years of culinary training from New York and heritage from Southern Italy, the business is now led by second-generation owner Joseph S. Garramone Jr. and his wife Kristin. The restaurant began as a casual pizzeria and has evolved into a white-linen special-occasion establishment offering a full dinner menu of appetizers, pasta, seafood, and premium proteins. In December 2015, the owners expanded the concept with Sul Tempo Cocktail Lounge, Dover's first dedicated cocktail lounge, featuring house fusions, boutique cocktails, small plates, craft beers, and a rustic-yet-refined aesthetic.

The business operates from 3 President Drive, Dover, DE, with a headcount of 21 employees. Revenue is generated through four streams: full-service dine-in, take-out, private events and banquet catering (plated and buffet formats), and cocktail lounge sales. Pricing for banquet and buffet catering is publicly disclosed (trays serving 10-12 adults at $52-$178 per tray, plus per-person beverage and dessert add-ons), while main menu pricing is available only in-restaurant; a 20% gratuity is added for parties of six or more. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Saturday evenings only, and the lounge operates Wednesday through Saturday.

The go-to-market is entirely direct-to-consumer via a Wix-hosted website (romadover.com) supporting menus, contact, account creation, and reservations, plus phone-based booking at a single listed number and word-of-mouth referrals. There is no third-party delivery or marketplace integration, no mobile app, no public social media presence surfaced in the source data, and no institutional investment, parent company, or external ownership structure — the enterprise is bootstrapped, founder-family-controlled, and privately held. The technology layer is conventional hospitality: traditional Italian culinary technique, in-house preparation of sauces and components, and standard point-of-sale implied by dine-in operations, with no disclosed AI, automation, or proprietary software systems.

Name

Roma Italian Restaurant

Legal name

Roma Italian Restaurant

Website

https://romadover.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Roma Italian Restaurant is a family-owned, single-location Italian restaurant in Dover, Delaware, founded in 1973 by Giuseppe Garramone. It operates a white-linen upscale Italian dining room alongside Sul Tempo Cocktail Lounge and offers banquet and buffet catering to local residents, special-occasion diners, and private event clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Italian Full-Service Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD), Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK), Brasseries, Bistros & Trattorias (THAFACAI)

Keywords

• Italian fine dining
• Upscale Italian restaurant
• Cocktail lounge
• Private event catering
• Banquet services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Restaurant Sales: Full-service Italian dining with white linen service in upscale setting. Revenue from appetizers, entrees, desserts, and beverages consumed on premises.
2. Take-Out Service: Packaged meals for off-premise consumption, maintaining quality dining experience at home.
3. Private Events and Banquets: Room rental and catering services for private events including plated dinner banquets and buffet options for groups.
4. Cocktail Lounge Sales: Sul Tempo Cocktail Lounge generates revenue from craft cocktails, boutique drinks, small plates, and craft beers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Roma Italian Restaurant operates a single-location, family-owned upscale Italian dining establishment in Dover, Delaware, offering authentic Italian cuisine with traditional recipes passed down through generations. Core revenue comes from full-service white-linen dine-in service, packaged take-out meals, banquet and private event catering (plated and buffet formats), and on-site craft cocktail lounge service at Sul Tempo.

Product overview

Roma Italian Restaurant operates as a multi-concept dining establishment featuring two distinct brands: Roma Italian Ristorante (the flagship full-service upscale Italian restaurant established in 1973) and SUL TEMPO Cocktail Lounge (a cocktail-focused concept launched December 2015). The portfolio includes four distinct menu offerings: the comprehensive Roma Menu (main restaurant dinner service), the SUL TEMPO Menu (small plates and flatbreads for the lounge), a Banquet Menu (plated private event catering), and a Buffet Menu (buffet-style catering). The establishment, now in its 43rd year, has evolved from a casual pizzeria to a premier white linen special occasion restaurant, with the newer SUL TEMPO concept expanding the brand into cocktail lounge territory with house fusions, boutique cocktails, small plates, and craft beers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sul Tempo Cocktail Lounge: Dover's first cocktail lounge focused on house fusions, boutique cocktails, small plates, and craft beers. Features rustic yet refined aesthetic with cedar plank smoke, sliding barn doors, stone veneer, and upscale décor.

Products and services

• Roma Italian Ristorante (Dine-In Service) Full-service upscale Italian dining experience offering traditional recipes with appetizers, salads, pasta, seafood, veal, chicken, and premium cuts in a white-linen atmosphere at 3 President Drive, Dover, Delaware. Targeted at local diners and visitors seeking authentic Italian cuisine for special occasions and regular dining.
• Roma Take-Out Service Packaged Italian meals prepared for off-premise consumption, maintaining the same quality and recipes as the dine-in experience. Targeted at local Dover residents who want Roma's food at home.
• Sul Tempo Cocktail Lounge On-premise cocktail lounge adjacent to the main restaurant, featuring house cocktail fusions, boutique cocktails, small plates (bruschetta, meatballs, calamari, wings, mussels/clams, raw oysters, pulled mozzarella), flatbreads, and craft beers in a rustic-yet-refined atmosphere with cedar plank smoke, sliding barn doors, and stone veneer. Targeted at adult patrons seeking a craft cocktail lounge experience in Dover.
• Banquet and Private Event Catering (Plated) Room rental plus plated dinner catering for private events with poultry (Chicken Cacciatore, Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Marsala), seafood (Crab Cakes, Shrimp Scampi, Lobster Ravioli, Roasted Salmon), farm (Veal Parmigiana, Roma Steak), and pasta (Stuffed Shells, Lasagna, Penne with Vodka Cream, Eggplant Parmigiana) options. Quote-based pricing with add-on beverage packages. Targeted at event planners, families, and organizations hosting weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate gatherings, and milestone celebrations.
• Buffet-Style Catering Buffet catering trays priced per tray (serving approximately 10-12 adults), with pasta (Marinara, Meat Sauce, Vodka, Alfredo), lasagna, Chicken Parmigiana, Stuffed Shells, Eggplant Parmigiana, Chicken Roma, Chicken Marsala, Roma Steak, sides, appetizers, soups, and desserts. Per-person dessert ($6) and non-alcoholic beverage ($5) add-ons available. Targeted at hosts of larger gatherings wanting buffet-style service.

Quantifiable outcome

• First cocktail lounge in Dover offering house fusions and boutique cocktails

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Carrabba's Italian Grill: Casual dining Italian restaurant chain offering similar menu categories (pasta, chicken, seafood, veal) with full bar service. Comparable in its authentic Italian positioning and family-style dining experience, though operating at chain scale rather than independent single-location.
• Maggiano's Little Italy: Upscale Italian-American restaurant chain with white tablecloth service, banquet and private event offerings, and a similar menu of classic Italian entrees. Most directly comparable on the upscale special occasion positioning and event catering capability.
• Buca di Beppo: Family-style Italian restaurant chain known for large portions, communal dining, and private event room rentals. Comparable in its Italian heritage, family-style positioning, and group/banquet catering business.
• Bertucci's: Casual Italian dining chain specializing in brick-oven pizza and classic Italian entrees. Comparable Italian menu structure and family-friendly dining environment, though positioned at a lower price point than Roma's upscale white-linen concept.
• Romano's Macaroni Grill: Italian casual dining chain featuring traditional Italian dishes with a focus on fresh ingredients and made-from-scratch preparation. Comparable on its authentic Italian positioning, similar menu categories, and family dining experience.

Broad incumbents

• Olive Garden: Largest Italian dining chain in the U.S. (Darden Restaurants portfolio). Comparable in core Italian menu and family dining, but operates at massive scale with a much broader, more value-oriented positioning than Roma's upscale white-linen special occasion concept.
• Il Fornaio: Upscale Italian restaurant chain with authentic regional Italian cuisine, bakery, and full bar service. Comparable in its upscale Italian positioning and authentic regional Italian recipes, though operating at a multi-location chain scale.
• Bonefish Grill: Upscale casual dining chain (also part of Darden Restaurants) with a seafood-forward menu and full bar service. Comparable in its upscale casual positioning, bar/lounge offering, and special occasion dining experience, though with a different cuisine focus.

Regional players

• Caffe Gelato: Upscale Italian restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware — makes it a regional peer based in the same state and serving the same Delaware market. Comparable on upscale Italian dining and authentic Italian cuisine, though located in a larger nearby market.

Emerging players

• The Melting Pot: Upscale fondue-focused restaurant chain with a strong private event and special occasion dining business. Comparable in its special occasion positioning, full bar service, and event catering capabilities, though with a distinctly different cuisine focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Roma Italian Restaurant