First Owners
The history of Grico’s begins with its construction between 1895 and 1905 by a gentleman named Major Kaufman as a dry goods store. Kaufman then sold the building in the 1935 to Stanley Grico. The first newspaper notice of its opening was in The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader on July 17, 1935. It was touted as Exeter’s Most Beautiful BEER GARDEN – Now Open for Business – S. Grico, 1074 Wyoming Ave.
An article from 1933 lists 17 people and business obtaining liquor licenses. The restaurant then began going by the name S. Grico Bar and Grill. Offering Dining and Dancing – advertisements in the newspaper offered menu items such as “Seafood and Steak Dinners” and “Chicken and Spaghetti Dinners. Apparently, every Friday there was a clam special…30 clams for 25 cents!
Over the years, the restaurant underwent several name changes. In October 1939, Stanley and his wife Elizabeth started using the name Grico’s Café. The name Grico’s Restaurant first appeared in an article from December 1955.
Second Owners
After 30 years in business, in 1966, Stanley and Elizabeth Grico decided to retire. They sold the restaurant for $55,000 to Carmen DelPriore and his wife Helen and James DelPriore and his wife Josephine. Each couple owned one half interest in the establishment.
The DelPriores sold the restaurant around 1991 to Pat Greenfield, who then carried the torch for another 25 years.
The business, located at 1074 Wyoming Ave., bounced back after suffering a devastating fire on August 26, 2011. Flames gutted the restaurant, destroying much of what was inside including the staircase that used to grace the main dining room. Pat Greenfield was rescued from the second floor patio where she resided in an apartment. Escaping destruction was the iconic 1930s bar and the hugely popular “confessionals” which are the private dining booths. The restaurant reopened in February 2013.
Today
2016 ushered in the sale of the Grico’s Restaurant yet again, this time under the ownership of Rob Friedman.
Grico’s continues to be a staple in the area, and you would be hard pressed to get a table on a weekend without a reservation.
In July, Grico’s will be celebrating the history of Grico’s and 90 years in business. Saturday, July 19th, they will be hosting cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as well as dinner stations. Reservations for this special event will open on June 1st.
Stay tuned for more information on our Facebook page!