Tuesday, April 1, 1989, the doors officially opened at originally Pizza and Pasta Place owners, Chip and Tammy Massey along with Beth and Richard (Dick) Steyer were excited to bring a true family-orientated Italian experience to Alturas. In 2001 the owners knew it was time to franchise the booming business, and that is when they decided to open another restaurant in Downtown Klamath Falls, OR. This is when the original name of Pizza and Pasta Place. was changed to Antonio’s Cucina Italiana for the reasoning that we could trademark the name, as well as appear first in the Yellow Pages, thanks to the smart thinking of Tammy Massey. Once the restaurant in Klamath opened, Chip was running both businesses. Fast forward to 1991, the first of the original Antonio’s crew members, Sandy Pickett joined the team. Sandy has been serving the people of Alturas for 34 years now, when asked what her favorite part about working at Antonio’s is, she replied, “The people. I have met people from all over, it’s nice meeting new people and being able to serve them a good meal. Many of the travelers are repeat customers and it’s great to see them. As well as getting to see my local people and visit with them. I am not just there for the paycheck; I like my customers to be happy with their meal and feel at home”. In December 1996, Stan Yagi was the next of the three original crew members. By December 1997, he had decided he wanted more than to just work at Antonio’s, and bought into the business where he became one of the Owners. Running and operating Antonio’s for seven years while Chip was running the business in Klamath, Stan became known as a community favorite, Stan the Pizza Man, always helping with community events, running school field trips, and welcoming each family into the restaurant as if it were their home too. Asking Stan what his passion is for being a part of Antonios, he replied, “Teaching the young adults about work and life”. The last of the original crew members to come along was Nikki Winfree in February 1999. When she moved from Redding, CA to Alturas, little did she know she would be at Antonio’s 26 years later, but when asked why she loves being a part of Antonios she replied, “It’s the people I serve and the people I work with. We’ve worked together so long; we are more like family than co-workers and the boss”. Being open for 36 years is an accomplishment, an accomplishment we are proud of and couldn’t have done without the support of every single customer in and outside of this community. We thank you every day we turn that open sign on, and because of that, we want to celebrate with you! Come dine with us on April 1st and enjoy the original crews’ hand-picked favorites for 50% off. We can’t wait to see you!
