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Yacovelli’s Not Just For Banquets; Area Landmark Introduces A New Menu
JAN AND JACK YACOVELLI at their restaurant. The family-run business has been a dining institution in the Florissant/North County area for many years. STORY & PHOTO BY CAROL ARNETT
For years, Yacovelli’s has been the restaurant North County residents turn to for special occasions and wedding receptions. But Jan and Jack Yacovelli want people to know that they’re not just for special occasions. Their new menu reflects this, with old favorites returning and more price-friendly options.
“We’ve added more chicken and pasta dishes, and dropped some prices,” said Jack Yacovelli. “We also put the early bird specials back on.” Some menu items are less expensive before 5:30 p.m. They were not on the last menu, and several customers asked that they be added. Jack Yacovelli said he likes to change the menu every couple of years.
The Yacovellis also kept the restaurant’s popular Dinner for Two for $25 on the menu. Diners can choose from four entrée choices, and get dinner for two, including soup or salad and ice cream for dessert, for $25.
The first Yacovelli’s opened in St. Louis in 1919. The family has been in the restaurant business ever since.
The restaurant opened in the shopping center at Dunn Road and Lafayette Road in 1967. At that time, it was in the back of the shopping center. In 1985, it moved to its current location in the same center. It has been a popular spot for banquets and wedding receptions. The stained glass windows throughout the restaurant were taken from a previous location.
“We probably do about 60 percent of our business on banquets,” Jack Yacovelli said. The restaurant’s banquet space can be divided into four smaller rooms. “Almost every weekend there’s a wedding here,” Jan Yacovelli said.
Yacovelli’s is truly a family restaurant. Jack’s father owned Yacovelli’s before him. He has worked in the restaurant since he was old enough to help. He met Jan in high school and she began working at the restaurant. They’ve been married 35 years and have five children. Their two sons work full-time at the restaurant, and their three daughters work there occasionally.
“Everyone in the family knows how to do everything,” Jan Yacovelli said, although Jack usually works in the kitchen, Jan on banquets and the dining room, son John on special events, and son Joe in the dining room.
“We love families, and we love to have them come in,” Jan Yacovelli said. The restaurant has a children’s menu with hamburgers and pizza, as well as rib eye and prime rib. All children’s items come with soup or salad, French fries, and ice cream for dessert.
“We like to say we’re not more expensive than many family or fast-food places,” Jack Yacovelli said, “but here you eat in a beautiful dining room with linen tablecloths.”
Regular customers have their favorite menu items. The Filet Yacovelli has been a favorite for years, Jack Yacovelli said. It’s a filet topped with a bleu cheese sauce. Another favorite is the prime rib, which comes in 9 ounce, 13 ounce, or one pound sizes. The prime rib is available in both the Early Bird dinner and the Dinner for Two for $25 special. The restaurant also serves homemade toasted ravioli. “It’s really made by hand, not in a machine, so it’s not perfectly shaped,” Jan Yacovelli said, “but it tastes great.”
Jack Yacovelli said that he credits several things for the restaurant’s long-running success. “The location is great,” he said, “the highway access is great because we get people from all over.” He also said the loyal customers have been great. “We have people who have been coming here for years.”
“And of course, our food is great,” he added. The couple’s enthusiasm is another reason. After a lifetime in the restaurant business, they are still excited about their new menu and their restaurant. “We get to work together and with our children,” Jan Yacovelli said. “It’s been a great life.”
Yacovelli’s has hosted many Florissant Valley Chamber of Commerce events and luncheons over the year and the Florissant Rotary Club meets there every Tuesday.
Yacovelli’s is located at 407 Dunn Rd, phone 839-1000. The web site is www.yacovellis.com.
