Our History

In 1968, the Oliverio’s added onto the restaurant which brought the seating capacity to 50. Restaurant competition began to increase in the 1980’s and Sonny’s felt the effects as business slowed down from it’s booming start.

The restaurant was closed in May of 1988 due to a fire in the kitchen that caused damage to the entire building. The decision was made to renovate and make some changes. Shirley was very influential in updating everything about Sonny’s Restaurant.  In September 1988, the new restaurant opened.  The building had a completely new look, new menu, and totally new concept.  At that time the name changed to “Oliverio’s Ristorante.”  Everything was different except the food and the service–those remained top notch.

People began to flock to Oliverio’s.  They fell in love with the all-you-can-eat bread sticks and House Italian salad.  Popular dishes like Chicken Marsala, Chicken Olio, Angel Hair Pasta and Sicialn Trio were added and remain some of the most popular today.  With the newfound popularity, Oliverio’s began to outgrow its capacity.  In the fall of 1992, the latest renovation took place at the Bridgeport store, this time, Sonny and Shirley’s son Pete was the architect.  He designed a large front dining room, bar and entry, expanding the overall capacity to 210 people.

Over the years our Family and Business has continued to grow and evolve.  There are now more than 30 members of the immediate family, many of which work hands on in one of our hospitality venues.  There are now three generations under Sonny and Shirley guaranteeing that Oliverio’s legacy will live on for years to come.   To this date we collectively operate the following businesses:

Oliverio’s Bridgeport

Oliverio’s On The Wharf (Morgantown)

Via Veneto Event

The Social Tap

Almost Heaven Desserts and Coffee