Nirchi's on the Ave

Nirchi's Restaurant was established in February of 2001. Of course, every family establishment has its family roots. Nirchi's On the Avenue was started by Rocco Nirchi, the son of Nicolina and Francesco Nirchi. Mr. and Mrs. Nirchi came to the United States in 1957 from Pofi, Italy. As did many of the Italians on the north side of Endicott, they came to the United States to make a new life for their family. Endicott Johnson provided them with work and the promise of a new life. In 1967, Mrs. Nirchi opened a small Italian deli on the north side of Endicott. Francesco cut hair at a local barbershop and continued to work at Endicott Johnson. At the time there were many small grocery stores in the Italian section of Endicott. Nicolina felt she needed something to set her apart. She started making square sheet pizza to sell by the slice. It was not long before she could not keep up with the demand. After putting her children, Rocco and Elena, through college, she needed more help. Rocco stepped in to run the business. Under his direction, the pizza business continued to grow. Soon, the calls would come in for Nirchi' s to open another pizza store. In 1984, Rocco trademarked the name and started to franchise. There are now several locations and still growing.

The Nirchi Family was ready for another challenge; why not an upscale Italian-American restaurant? In February of 2001, Rocco, his wife Patricia, their sons, Thomas and Michael, opened their new restaurant. It was different experience than the pizza business, but the Nirchi family strived to be the best they could. Four months after opening, a fire damaged the interior of the restaurant. This did not deter the Nirchi family. They just rebuilt and started again. With a dedicated and exceptional staff, they created a restaurant with fine food, fine wines, great service, and a personal touch.

The Nirchi family would like to express their appreciation to the many loyal customers and friends for their support through these many years. God Bless America and the opportunities it has afforded so many different nationalities in this country. We are fortunate to have been given an opportunity to enjoy a community rich in heritage, family and friends.