The Godfather movies conjure an image of family, folklore and
Italian food, interspersed with murder and mayhem.
One of the characters, Don Ciccio, was the inspiration for local
restaurateur Jerry Boone when he decided to open an upscale Italian
restaurant by the same name in San Juan Bautista a year and a half
ago.
The Godfather movies conjure an image of family, folklore and Italian food, interspersed with murder and mayhem.
One of the characters, Don Ciccio, was the inspiration for local restaurateur Jerry Boone when he decided to open an upscale Italian restaurant by the same name in San Juan Bautista a year and a half ago.
After owning three restaurants for more than 10 years in the San Jose area, Boone and his wife decided to move to San Juan Bautista to get away from the over-crowded, congested city. When he realized there weren’t any places where someone could go to get an upscale meal and a good glass of wine, he decided to sell his other restaurants and devote his time to bringing a taste of the city to the country.
“When this building was being built it seemed pretty natural… so I could build it like I wanted and it could look like an urban environment in somewhat of an off the beaten trail place,” Boone said. “There are plenty of people out here to take advantage of this caliber of a restaurant.”
Because Don Ciccio’s is upscale, with some pricey items and crystal wine glasses, some people may assume it’s pretentious, Boone said.
The restaurant’s new, clean, polished look is just a look, not an attitude, Boone said.
“Some people were stand-offish right from the get-go, including the town of San Juan,” Boone said. “But you can come here and eat pizza and a salad and dress it down – there’s not a dress code – and do everything you want to do here.”
The downtrodden economy has taken its toll on Don Ciccio’s, as it has on most business. But along with the bad days come a fair share of good days, and Boone is confident the restaurant will grow into a great success, he said.
He had no way of knowing the economy would take a turn for the worst when he opened the restaurant more than a year ago. But even if he had known, he still would have undertaken the venture and done it exactly the same, he said.
“I built exactly what I wanted to build and we came out really strong,” he said. “When I jump into something, I jump feet first and this is what I love to do – be the gracious host, have fun and treat people to a great experience.”
Don Ciccio’s attracts people from Hollister, San Jose, Morgan Hill, Watsonville, Salinas and the Carmel Valley. Several weeks ago a couple drove from Yosemite just to have lunch, Boone said.
Boone said he is troubled by the amount of people in Hollister who still haven’t traveled the eight miles to experience the fine dining experience, he said.
“When you live in San Jose, you do eight miles and it takes you 45 minutes – here it takes you 10 minutes,” he said. “You’ll drive five miles to the Inn at Tres Pinos, but you won’t go to San Juan Bautista? Get in your car, it’s not that far. There’s room for everybody.”
The city ambiance Don Ciccio’s brings to San Juan Bautista is a part of the life Boone left behind that he sometimes misses, he said.
But not being able to pick up some sushi or go to a movie are countered by having enough property to watch his dogs run wild and being able to look up at the stars from his back yard when he comes home at night, he said.
Unlike his past endeavors, he doesn’t want to open another restaurant or expand, but concentrate on bringing the best possible dining experience to his customers, he said.
“When you see people coming in all the time, it’s very rewarding,” he said. “We want one (restaurant) that we’re accountable for… so we’ll be able to make a living and make people happy. Because, in the end, that’s what we do.”
