We’re on location with Tony Suppa, owner of WoodWinds Wedding and Special Events Venue in CT: Tony quite literally grew up in the heart of his family’s restaurant—Del Monaco’s—on New Haven’s iconic Wooster Street, a beloved spot once frequented by legends like Al Pacino, Frank Sinatra, and a host of Hollywood stars. His father’s dream was to one day create a stunning event venue, complete with beautiful gardens and his signature cuisine, perfect for unforgettable weddings and special celebrations. Before his passing, he shared that vision with his son, Antonio—and together, they brought it to life. The result? A multi-award-winning venue and a powerful story of love, legacy, and a dream fulfilled.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Oh, Joyce. What's going on?
We have a special guest here.
Who was.
A gentleman I've worked with many,many times over the years.
For the premiere facilities and.
Well, I was going to say the shrine,but I think all the state of Connecticut.
Right. My limited.
Wait a minute.
The shoreline. The tri state.
The tri state area.
Why not?
Why not nationally?
(00:21):
Why not so popular?
Why not universally?
Even the Klingons,when they have weddings.
And the Romulans and Star Trek,where do they go?
Woodwinds. And Branford. Yeah, exactly.
What's good with Johnand Joyce is sponsored
by woodwinds, wedding and Special Eventsvenue in Branford, Connecticut.
And Silvio's award winning Italian sauces,which you could buy any time online
(00:43):
at silvio's.
Sauces.com.
That's silvio's sauces.com.
Welcome towhat's Good with John and Joyce.
We appreciate you having us on.
Special guest owner of woodwindsin Branford, Connecticut.
Tony. Super. Hey, Tony.
Hey, thanks for having me, guys,I appreciate it.
We're back again. Back again.
And had so much funthe first time for quite an episode.
We had Tony on before.
(01:03):
It was great because we had pastaand meatballs served to us
courtesy of Tony wasWe also Jovian busses.
Yeah. Awesome. Awesome.
Yeah,but today we're at Woodlands in Branford.
We are there.
But tell us, Tony, a little bit about,you know, your venue here in woodwinds,
how you got the startand a little bit about that.
(01:26):
So woodwinds was around about 1990.
We purchased it.
My dad and I actually, my family, we'relooking forward to getting to the wedding.
And in that business, we always hadrestaurants, you know, since 1972,
we had, the Monica's in New Haven.
My family also at the palms in downtownNew Haven, Valentino's.
(01:48):
And he used. To play music there at the.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, and then,he moved to cafe, library and Madison,
and then we started doing some cateringout of there and some events and,
you know, we I really enjoyed I got older,so I want to get more involved.
So, we started looking for an event venue,and we landed,
you know, here in about 2006.
(02:11):
And we've owned ever since.
You know, we've been here so many timeswith our business as well.
And every time we comehere, we're treated like family.
Yep. I love that, you know, we're here.
Whatever you need.
And you just treat the vendorswith such respect.
Yeah. And that goes a long way.
There's a lot of word of mouthon the street when you go through,
when you're treated with,you know the utmost.
You know, curly, you.
Know, we sure do.
(02:31):
We treat all the vendors like they're,you know, family.
A part of the Woodman's family.
Yeah. You're right.
A lot of places don't do that.
And it's just,you know, we're just not like that.
Well, you're always winning awardsfor service and, food.
Yeah. You know?
Yeah. Award winning food.
So go back a little bit.
Wasn't this a dream of your dad's like to
(02:52):
to have, a venue like this?
So my dad always wanted to get into thisend of it.
I mean, we always had restaurants,like, all the car restaurants, but,
his dream was
always to get into the events and weddingsand things like that.
So, you know, it's
it was hard having the restaurantsto branch out into something else.
So once we got older,you know, the family expanded.
(03:15):
He had the manpower to do that,you know, and then, you know,
I always worked with himand trained with him.
So, I had that knowledge.
Then after I graduated college,that's kind of when we started
looking and got into it. So.
What was it like working with your dad?
Working with the family business?
It can go either way sometimes.
(03:35):
Not so with me.It was a wonderful experience.
I my dad was, like, my best friend.
So, I mean,I just loved hanging out with him,
you know, like, being able to work withhim was the best thing ever for me.
He always had that smile.
Oh, whenever you see my dad.
And he made you feel like family.
Even if you were a stranger comingin, they didn't quite know you.
It was like they still had that.
That just quick wayof ushering in and making.
(03:55):
Exactly. Yeah, yeah.
I was lucky enoughto know your dad and work along with them.
He was awesome. Yeah. Just incredible.
Yeah. I mean, I miss him a lot now.
Working with himwere some of the best days of my life.
I actually when we came here,we had to split up
because obviouslyhe had to stay at a coffee lake.
We I came here,so I wasn't with him all the time,
and I missed him a lot even back then,just being in the kitchen with him and,
(04:18):
you know, working with him,you know, from night, from day to night.
We still saw each other every day,
but it wasn't quite the same as werein two different locations.
And then, you know,unfortunately, Gary passed away young,
you so he's only 69 and, you know, it.
Still miss him to this day?
Yeah.
Cafe Alegria, for those listeningand indoor watching
right now who may not be familiar,it's over in the Madison Green.
(04:41):
And just a great place. Yeah, right.
Downtown. Great destination. Yeah.
So my mom, my brother still there.
You know, I'm here, this location,but I'm still going.
I think there is 1990, nine, I believe.
So 26 years.
And then here since 2006, almost 20 yearshere.
Now, Joyce says a lot about businessnowadays because most businesses fail.
(05:01):
Yeah.
And what do you think
the key to your longevityis both with woodwinds and Cafe Alegre?
It's a lot of hard work.
I mean, that's number one.
You got to be able to putin the hours and the time,
you have to sacrifice a lot.
You know, there's a lot of thingsI like to do, obviously,
you know, personally things like that.
But you the business when you owna business like this, it does come first.
(05:24):
But being a family business is betterbecause, you know, it's,
you get to do things with your family.
I mean, you're not, you know,
doing other things like leisure, but,you know, you're
working together, having a good timetogether, growing a business together.
So it comes along. It's really nice.
And you oversee everything.
I think that helps that you're very,very hands on.
(05:45):
Yeah, it's it's just I probably put morestress on myself that I need to.
So I do have a great team.
Yeah.
You know, the employees and managersI have here are amazing.
I do kind of oversee everything I wish.
I wish I didn'tbecause I really don't need to, but I just
I'm very hands on, and, I just, you know,want to make sure everything was perfect.
(06:06):
Especially with the serviceand the food and, you know,
keeping that legacy of my dad,you know, that's how he would have run it.
That's kind of how I want to keep doingit. It's not.
I just curious about this.
When you're in college,you're this young guy in college.
Was this your dream to do this?
Did you think you would go this route?
So honestly,
(06:26):
I kind of didn't want to go intothe film business when I was in school.
I went to school for, engineeringfirst, actually, for a couple of years.
I went to collegefor mechanical engineering.
That was actually, like,what I was really into.
Wow. Sounds real like.
Yeah, it sounds kind of nerdy, but, like,I was really good at math.
And I got accepted to Universityof Hartford into engineering.
(06:47):
That helps some business.And. Yeah, like. Those.
So, and then I was always working with dad
part time during school,you know, like, every weekend I was there.
So are you. Doing homeworkat the restaurant?
Yeah. You know, exactly that.
Yeah. Right. Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
So we start backin, you know, grade school, high school.
Just to get the algebra bookright there in the road, right? Right.
(07:08):
Yeah.
So, my dad was really good in math, too.
Maybe it's genetic.Who knows what's weird?
He's really good in math.
And, so working on my dad more and more,
I realized I wanted to, like,get into the family business with him.
So halfway through college, I changedmy major to finance and accounting.
And, honestly, I kind of did it forjust because it was easier.
(07:31):
Because I already did all the mathprerequisites for engineering.
So I switched to counting and,and, finance.
I had all those math coursesreally taken, like,
so I didn't have to renew them over again.Yeah.
So that's kind of how I got intothe business, degree and things like that.
So I ended up getting a double majorin accounting and finance.
And then once I graduated,I started working my dad full time.
(07:52):
You do all. The accounting tofor the business.
Actually. Did you have that background.Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
That's that's what helps.Yeah I mean that.
No. Yeah.
Yeah. On top of everything else.
And I noticed too, you just,
you know, being here so many times myself,your employees, they take ownership.
They do everything they do.
You're talking about
you're only as good as the employeesand the team you have around.
Exactly. Yep. I have an awesome team.
(08:14):
I mean, we have a lot of employees, butwe have that core of the same employees
that have been here forever.
And big shout out to Kenny that,
I love that guy.
Yeah.
Yeah, he was here earlier, but,
Yeah, I mean, they care forjust as if there were.
It was their own.
And, you know, wewe keep each other on point and,
you know, take care of each otherand, and work together hard.
(08:36):
So that's what keeps everything going.
Well, And,
The other thing is, isn'tthis one of the toughest businesses to be?
And not only are you dealing with foodand keeping people happy,
but it's it's the emotions of the day.Yeah.
I mean, you're dealing with brideswith weddings, people
(08:58):
who have so many differentspecial events here.
So to be a therapist.Yeah. You do sometimes. Yeah.
Gosh. Yeah.
I mean, coming from the restaurant.
So I kind of know both sides of it.A lot of people don't.
Some people are either in the cateringside or in the restaurant side, but,
they're both hard.
But this side, you do almost have to, youknow, things like have to be a therapist
(09:18):
because it's okay.They're coming in to eat and have a party.
But it's also it's the most important.They're the lions.
It's the wedding, you know,hopefully it's just a one time thing.
High stress, high emotions.
Yeah.
You know, and,you just there's no redo, right?
So I could have to go. Perfect.And there's no way to redo it.
That's right.
So the level of stress on the staffto make sure everything goes right
(09:38):
is extremely high, too,just as the as the guests themselves.
So it's like, you know, we say it's likeshow business, you know, it's like,
yeah, yeah.
Once the curtains drawn,it's like there's no reduce,
it's live show, you know, it's lot.
And you always have to beas the owner of the business,
you always have to keep pumping people up.Yeah. Get them ready.
And just letting them knowhow important this is and they know it.
But they have to really know it. Yeah.
(09:59):
Reputation is everything. Exactly.
You know, you. Want the referrals. Yeah.
You want people to say, oh my God,I had this amazing event at woodwinds.
You've got to go.
Which is usually the case with the guy.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, word of mouthreferrals is more important than anything.
Anything. You could spend as much moneyas you want to advertising.
But if you're not getting those,that word of mouth or those person reviews
(10:21):
or people telling their family and friendslike it's not going to work.
Your reviews are stellar.
You know, I've read through themand they always say the same thing,
that they they treat you like family,that everything went perfectly.
Or if something went wrong,
your general manager,Randy, took care of this or that already.
Enough. Whatever.
He's awesome. Yeah.
I mean, he's been with me forever.
(10:41):
He started, as a teenager,just as a staff member.
Now he's, you know, the head manager.
So he pretty much runs,most of the operation for me.
I mean, he's and I mean, the best thingabout that is he's been here forever.
He knows everything.
You know, he started from thebottom, worked his way up.
And it's it's hard to bring
in managers from outside because there'sa certain culture in every business, so.
(11:04):
But when you grow up in it,you are part of the culture. You know,
you don't have to figure things out or,you know, change things around.
And I think I've always noticedabout being a vendor,
I think what you guys really do, right,where a lot of people get it wrong,
is you make sure that you feed the vendorsthe first. Yes.
Yeah. Exactly.
That way when they're done,they're ready to work.
Yeah.
Too many times you go to another venue,they wait until the end.
(11:26):
Yeah.Everybody else is ready to get going.
You haven't eaten yet?
Yeah.
Your food
either goes cold, you got a box set up,or you don't have a chance to eat it.
You do it the right way.
Yeah, exactly.
And that's it seems like it'ssomething that's kind of small.
Yeah, I think you. Yeah.
Because when we saidmy husband was a photographer.
Yeah.
And I know he worked a lot of weddingswith you, did a lot together.
And he always kept coming to woodwindsbecause he knows that he would eat.
(11:50):
Yeah, exactly.
A lot of other places they don't. Yeah.
I mean, there'sso much going on after dinner.
If you guys don't eat first,you get that out of the way,
you're never going to be able to right?
And, I mean, you're here. It's a long day.
Oh, you have a lot of work going.
I mean, it's it's an all day thing.
You need your. Energy.
That was actually to keep it going. Him?
Yeah.
And and, you know,so many different things like how to,
(12:11):
you have, like, sewing kits,you have stain remover,
all the things that people,I think don't think about that
could happen where the bride would say,oh, I've got something on my dress.
I just tore my dress, I was dancing. Yeah.
It's like you fix it.
Yeah. If you're prepared for anything.
And it's stockedup, like in the bathroom with all that.
Yeah. Everything people need.
Like you said, if they have a headache,if they need mouthwash. Yep.
(12:32):
It's all that's active.
And, you know,it seems like it'd be standard,
but it's not a lot of venuesdon't do that. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
So I mean it's like the staffhaving the solid staff like that,
like the core staff
you know helps a lotbecause they all know those things.
They all know that this is what we do.
This is how we take care of people.
You know, like you mentionedRandy and Ken, there's also Sergio,
(12:54):
who's been in the businessa very long time.
He deals with the brides directly,you know, they have Sergio,
he does some of the weddings and then, youknow, Randy does some of the other ones.
And also our head chef,Bill, we've known each other since he
he started working on my dadat the Monaco's.
Your father trained him.
You trained him directly? Yeah.
So he's our head chef now,which I bet works with him forever.
(13:16):
But what he.
Says a lot about you in this business,and that people stay so long for a.
Long time.
Yeah, yeah, but it's been it's been years.
And I mean, we're more brothersthan, you know, like coworkers.
I mean, we know each other.I think I was like, great.
I was maybe like 14 or 15and he was maybe like 20 when he started.
That's how long we known each other. Wow.
You think about back to the beginnings ofwoodwinds and now what has really changed
(13:38):
in the in the business, in the business,
because I know there'sa lot more competition nowadays.
Yeah. As well.
I mean, sorry,I have to be on your game more.
You have to be able to changemore rapidly.
I think that's,
you know, things like social
media and Pinterest,when Pinterest is popular,
those fads come a lot fasterand go a lot faster.
(13:59):
Oh, wait, a lot faster.
Oh, they do wait.
So what they're seeing right there,they come in and say, I want this.
Yeah. So that happens a lot.
But it spreads a lot faster. Beforeit was just like word of mouth.
But now it's like you can seewhat somebody is doing
at a weddingin California, Italy or whatever.
Europe. It's not just what's a local like.
You're these new visions or whateveryou want to call it,
(14:20):
are coming from all over the world,and you have to adapt to it immediately.
Yes. And they also go out of stylereally fast, too,
because the next thing is coming up. Yeah.
So what what is the is there a current fadgoing on right now that's different.
Right now really popularis like farm weddings which we got into.
So we're doing farm weddings.
(14:40):
So doing offsite catering.
So we do offsite catering.
You know, we do I just.I like doing it. Right. Wrong.
Yeah. So at a time right after Covid.
So during Covid, unfortunatelywe can use our building because of the,
you know, the temporary, bans on thatwith the guest counts and things.
So we, we would just do the weddingswhere we had to our doors.
So, I mean, we're doing it in people'shomes, friends homes, farms.
(15:03):
We started doing the farms we rented tentswith, doing them on our front lawn here.
We can use the building for months.
I remember doing a few weddingshere out in the front lawn, I think.
Tents? Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah,
because the tents allowed us to have,
you know, kind of normal sizerunning indoors.
It was like a 25 to 50 person max.
And I mean our minimums are 75.
So it was either that or close.
(15:25):
And you know that was an option.
We wanted to make sureeverybody kept working. Yeah.
So we would go anywhere like whereversomebody if somebody's friend had a farm
or, you know,they would be able to rent one
and we would go everywhere and, you know,we were there.
Yeah. Yeah. Pretty.
Yeah. Yeah.
We were forced into it, unfortunately.
But we got really good at it.
So we kind of just kept going it.
Yeah. You know,there's no reason to stop at that point.
(15:47):
And I think that's kind of whatgot those outdoor weddings more popular
too, was during Covid,everybody was outdoors
and they ended up enjoying it more,you know.
And I think that too, you know, thatsince we live in such a now world,
what's happening?Everybody has cell phones. Yeah.
Everybody's taking pictures.
So you really have to be at the top ofyour game to as if somebody is rude.
Yeah, something's not happening.
They could put it all over social mediaright then and there.
(16:08):
And I teach my deejaysto do the same thing.
You're always being monitored.
Yeah. You gothere, you're in your best game.
Yeah. We're all about serving.
If somebody is rude and comes up to you,you kill them with kindness.
Yeah, I remember that.
Somebody all of a sudden,they can have the phone right on you.
Yeah, yeah, that's changed things a lot.
A lot.
Yeah. It's something.
No hiding the morning, John, is the.
Remember that your microphone in lifeis always on.
(16:32):
Right, right, right.
Mike is always on it. Yeah.
No matter where you go,you're representing your business as well,
whether you're there or not.
Just by the way you live your life.Yeah, exactly. Integrity.
And you and I talked about in techthat a lot,
you know, before the broadcastbegan today.
Yeah for. Sure.
You know, we had to talk aboutis how gorgeous this place is.
It is,first of all, it's, like, tucked away.
(16:53):
It's right off the highway. Yep.
And off of 95 by 95 in, Branford,Connecticut.
Yeah, but it's tucked away,and house is beautiful.
We call it the European manor feel to it.
And it's stunning.
Your grounds.You have to keep impeccable care.
(17:13):
Right on the grounds.A lot of work. Yes. A lot.
We actually,we have our own groundskeepers now.
We used to hire out companies, but,
you know, it's they have other jobs
I've seen to go to, so it's alwayshard to get somebody here all the time.
So we we just have full time.
I mean, in Sky, I mean versus. Grave.
Landscaperand we just take care of our own stuff
now beca and because it it's daily,you know, it's,
(17:35):
you constantly have to clean upand plant flowers and redo the ground.
So there's no, you can't miss a day or twobecause the next wedding is coming up,
you know? Right.
Those pictures are not up to parthen that reflects badly on you.
And everybody sees that,and it's just not good.
If you go to the wood wince.com,you'll see a lot of those photos on there.
(17:56):
Yeah, yeah.
But again,I just love the idea that you've
ventured outbecause I love doing farm weddings too.
Yeah, that's a big, big dealnowadays. Yeah, they love that.
You know, rustic barnweddings are a big deal now.
Yeah, they really do love it.
Yeah, yeah.
Wonder what the next fad will be.
But, honestly, it's.
You used to be able to see stuff comingbecause things would come and go slowly.
(18:16):
Yeah. Now. Yeah.
Like no idea.
Like it just comes out of nowhereand then just.
It's just. Rapid fire.Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah, yeah.
And it could be what a celebrity just did.
Exactly. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.
Okay.
Is there anything that we haven't hit yetthat you'd like people to know about?
Wood winds?
What makes you so unique?
What makes you so specialin the marketplace?
Oh, I guessI mean, the main thing would be the food.
(18:37):
Just because we, you know,we started in the,
restaurant business,all the restaurant business.
So it's definitely differentthan, like a banquet type of food. And,
you know, our, our chefs
all came from, you know, in shorthandwith my dad, and I feel like.
Ray, when we came here,we brought that same type of thing.
So we try to give that,
you know, that made to order feelto even, like our banquets.
(19:00):
And I think we did pretty well with that.
You know, that is one of the thingswe hear the most.
And then, just like you said, the servicewe do go above and beyond.
There really isn't much that.
So we try not to do.
You know, there's if somebody needssomething, we will make it happen.
So you know.
Yeah, that that's the thing.
I think people love the factthat people don't want to
hear, well, sorry, I can't do that. Yeah.
(19:21):
If there is a waywe're going to make it happen. Yeah.
I mean, obviously you can't, you know,just make everything happen all the time.
But you want to say there's a waywe're going to make it.
Yeah, exactly.
It's all how you respond. Exactly.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
So when you have metwith a bride and groom, let's say,
did you ever think don't get married?
(19:43):
You two were never gonna.
Make, I mean, you know what.
I hate to say, but,yeah, it just like times out.
The best in the worst in a person.
During that time of stressof planning the wedding.
Yeah, I watch those hallmark movies.
I see the stress, even thoughthey have a happy ending at the end.
Yeah, but there has to be timeswhere you thought, oh, my God, definitely.
I mean, it brings the best out of people.
(20:03):
Also, the worst fears are that
it's a very high stressand like the planning and we try to
that's one of the things we try to dois to make it as smooth as possible.
So we try to take care of almost,you know, everything for them.
So there's not.
There's not the stress.
Yeah. But, you know, it is. Yeah.
I mean, you've seen some stuff over there.
Oh, you did right.
(20:24):
Which I'm. Sure John has a. Enjoy.
So I was just going to say,when I meet with these couples
and I meet, you know, 2 or 3 couplesa week, you know, for consultations
and you'll you could tell by the,the eye contact and.
Oh, they're like bickering already. Yeah.
And they're not even through the honeymoonperiod. Right.
Yeah. Yeah, but there was this one guy.
I've deejay three of his weddings.
Yeah. Over the past year. Well,
(20:45):
yeah, three of his weddings.
And we've actually,we've actually done a few divorce parties.
Oh, have you ever catered the divorceparties?
No, I yeah,I've actually had a few divorce parties.
They're among the best parties
I've ever donebecause they actually got along better.
Oh, yeah. Right after they were.
Divorceparties. Could be a whole new model.
The divorce parties, they both showed up.
(21:05):
They both showed up.
Wow. Yeah, I believe they probablywould get along better.
Yeah.
I was like 3 or 4 of the divorce parties,you know, so, Tony,
next time I get a divorce party,I'll give you a call.
That'll be a hell of a first for you.
Let me know.
But but Imean, you just again, a testimony to you
because I've been hereso many times over the past years.
Yeah.And it's just been always a pleasure.
(21:26):
And I'm not just saying thatbecause you're with me right now.
But we've had many conversations,
you know, privatelyand you really know how to treat people.
Yeah. And I think that'swhat makes me excited about coming here.
Yeah.
I mean, you as well, John
M, you're a consummate professional,like in your industry.
We never, you know, when you're here,we know there's never going
to be any issues.
Everything's going to gosmooth and professional.
So, I mean, the same with you,you know for sure.
(21:48):
But thank you.
Thank you. Joyce,
I know you've worked here for a long,long time as well and work with Tony.
And every time I hear you, hear you talkabout Tony, as always in glowing terms.
Absolutely.
I know it's a mutual admirationsociety here.
You know, it's like family.It was just like, for sure.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We trust each other. That loyalty.
Yeah, it means a lot.
That's for sure.
Trust and loyalty go a long, long way.
(22:08):
But, Tony, thank you so much for being onand sharing a little bit
about our backgroundin talking about woodwinds.
And I just I admire the way you talkabout your family,
where you honor and Revere your family.
That means a lot to me.And I know it means a lot to you.
And thank you for tuning in toWhat's Good with John and Joyce.
Available on all streaming platforms,you can subscribe for free on YouTube.
Tell a friend about uswho needs good news.
(22:30):
No negativity, all positive, upbeat and
like we always say, no politics.
Whenever I say that to people,they usually say we're tuning in now.
Yeah, I know, so I really yeah.So thank you so much.
And Tony, thank you so much and lots. Ofthanks guys.
Yeah appreciate it. Bye for now.
Oh, Joyce. What's going on?
We have a special guest here.
Who was.
A gentleman I've worked with many,many times over the years.
For the premiere facilities and.
Well, I was going to say the shrine,but I think all the state of Connecticut.
Right. My limited.
Wait a minute.
The shoreline. The tri state.
The tri state area.
Why not?
Why not nationally?
(00:21):
Why not so popular?
Why not universally?
Even the Klingons,when they have weddings.
And the Romulans and Star Trek,where do they go?
Woodwinds. And Branford. Yeah, exactly.
What's good with Johnand Joyce is sponsored
by woodwinds, wedding and Special Eventsvenue in Branford, Connecticut.
And Silvio's award winning Italian sauces,which you could buy any time online
(00:43):
at silvio's.
Sauces.com.
That's silvio's sauces.com.
Welcome towhat's Good with John and Joyce.
We appreciate you having us on.
Special guest owner of woodwindsin Branford, Connecticut.
Tony. Super. Hey, Tony.
Hey, thanks for having me, guys,I appreciate it.
We're back again. Back again.
And had so much funthe first time for quite an episode.
We had Tony on before.
(01:03):
It was great because we had pastaand meatballs served to us
courtesy of Tony wasWe also Jovian busses.
Yeah. Awesome. Awesome.
Yeah,but today we're at Woodlands in Branford.
We are there.
But tell us, Tony, a little bit about,you know, your venue here in woodwinds,
how you got the startand a little bit about that.
(01:26):
So woodwinds was around about 1990.
We purchased it.
My dad and I actually, my family, we'relooking forward to getting to the wedding.
And in that business, we always hadrestaurants, you know, since 1972,
we had, the Monica's in New Haven.
My family also at the palms in downtownNew Haven, Valentino's.
(01:48):
And he used. To play music there at the.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, and then,he moved to cafe, library and Madison,
and then we started doing some cateringout of there and some events and,
you know, we I really enjoyed I got older,so I want to get more involved.
So, we started looking for an event venue,and we landed,
you know, here in about 2006.
(02:11):
And we've owned ever since.
You know, we've been here so many timeswith our business as well.
And every time we comehere, we're treated like family.
Yep. I love that, you know, we're here.
Whatever you need.
And you just treat the vendorswith such respect.
Yeah. And that goes a long way.
There's a lot of word of mouthon the street when you go through,
when you're treated with,you know the utmost.
You know, curly, you.
Know, we sure do.
(02:31):
We treat all the vendors like they're,you know, family.
A part of the Woodman's family.
Yeah. You're right.
A lot of places don't do that.
And it's just,you know, we're just not like that.
Well, you're always winning awardsfor service and, food.
Yeah. You know?
Yeah. Award winning food.
So go back a little bit.
Wasn't this a dream of your dad's like to
(02:52):
to have, a venue like this?
So my dad always wanted to get into thisend of it.
I mean, we always had restaurants,like, all the car restaurants, but,
his dream was
always to get into the events and weddingsand things like that.
So, you know, it's
it was hard having the restaurantsto branch out into something else.
So once we got older,you know, the family expanded.
(03:15):
He had the manpower to do that,you know, and then, you know,
I always worked with himand trained with him.
So, I had that knowledge.
Then after I graduated college,that's kind of when we started
looking and got into it. So.
What was it like working with your dad?
Working with the family business?
It can go either way sometimes.
(03:35):
Not so with me.It was a wonderful experience.
I my dad was, like, my best friend.
So, I mean,I just loved hanging out with him,
you know, like, being able to work withhim was the best thing ever for me.
He always had that smile.
Oh, whenever you see my dad.
And he made you feel like family.
Even if you were a stranger comingin, they didn't quite know you.
It was like they still had that.
That just quick wayof ushering in and making.
(03:55):
Exactly. Yeah, yeah.
I was lucky enoughto know your dad and work along with them.
He was awesome. Yeah. Just incredible.
Yeah. I mean, I miss him a lot now.
Working with himwere some of the best days of my life.
I actually when we came here,we had to split up
because obviouslyhe had to stay at a coffee lake.
We I came here,so I wasn't with him all the time,
and I missed him a lot even back then,just being in the kitchen with him and,
(04:18):
you know, working with him,you know, from night, from day to night.
We still saw each other every day,
but it wasn't quite the same as werein two different locations.
And then, you know,unfortunately, Gary passed away young,
you so he's only 69 and, you know, it.
Still miss him to this day?
Yeah.
Cafe Alegria, for those listeningand indoor watching
right now who may not be familiar,it's over in the Madison Green.
(04:41):
And just a great place. Yeah, right.
Downtown. Great destination. Yeah.
So my mom, my brother still there.
You know, I'm here, this location,but I'm still going.
I think there is 1990, nine, I believe.
So 26 years.
And then here since 2006, almost 20 yearshere.
Now, Joyce says a lot about businessnowadays because most businesses fail.
(05:01):
Yeah.
And what do you think
the key to your longevityis both with woodwinds and Cafe Alegre?
It's a lot of hard work.
I mean, that's number one.
You got to be able to putin the hours and the time,
you have to sacrifice a lot.
You know, there's a lot of thingsI like to do, obviously,
you know, personally things like that.
But you the business when you owna business like this, it does come first.
(05:24):
But being a family business is betterbecause, you know, it's,
you get to do things with your family.
I mean, you're not, you know,
doing other things like leisure, but,you know, you're
working together, having a good timetogether, growing a business together.
So it comes along. It's really nice.
And you oversee everything.
I think that helps that you're very,very hands on.
(05:45):
Yeah, it's it's just I probably put morestress on myself that I need to.
So I do have a great team.
Yeah.
You know, the employees and managersI have here are amazing.
I do kind of oversee everything I wish.
I wish I didn'tbecause I really don't need to, but I just
I'm very hands on, and, I just, you know,want to make sure everything was perfect.
(06:06):
Especially with the serviceand the food and, you know,
keeping that legacy of my dad,you know, that's how he would have run it.
That's kind of how I want to keep doingit. It's not.
I just curious about this.
When you're in college,you're this young guy in college.
Was this your dream to do this?
Did you think you would go this route?
So honestly,
(06:26):
I kind of didn't want to go intothe film business when I was in school.
I went to school for, engineeringfirst, actually, for a couple of years.
I went to collegefor mechanical engineering.
That was actually, like,what I was really into.
Wow. Sounds real like.
Yeah, it sounds kind of nerdy, but, like,I was really good at math.
And I got accepted to Universityof Hartford into engineering.
(06:47):
That helps some business.And. Yeah, like. Those.
So, and then I was always working with dad
part time during school,you know, like, every weekend I was there.
So are you. Doing homeworkat the restaurant?
Yeah. You know, exactly that.
Yeah. Right. Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
So we start backin, you know, grade school, high school.
Just to get the algebra bookright there in the road, right? Right.
(07:08):
Yeah.
So, my dad was really good in math, too.
Maybe it's genetic.Who knows what's weird?
He's really good in math.
And, so working on my dad more and more,
I realized I wanted to, like,get into the family business with him.
So halfway through college, I changedmy major to finance and accounting.
And, honestly, I kind of did it forjust because it was easier.
(07:31):
Because I already did all the mathprerequisites for engineering.
So I switched to counting and,and, finance.
I had all those math coursesreally taken, like,
so I didn't have to renew them over again.Yeah.
So that's kind of how I got intothe business, degree and things like that.
So I ended up getting a double majorin accounting and finance.
And then once I graduated,I started working my dad full time.
(07:52):
You do all. The accounting tofor the business.
Actually. Did you have that background.Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
That's that's what helps.Yeah I mean that.
No. Yeah.
Yeah. On top of everything else.
And I noticed too, you just,
you know, being here so many times myself,your employees, they take ownership.
They do everything they do.
You're talking about
you're only as good as the employeesand the team you have around.
Exactly. Yep. I have an awesome team.
(08:14):
I mean, we have a lot of employees, butwe have that core of the same employees
that have been here forever.
And big shout out to Kenny that,
I love that guy.
Yeah.
Yeah, he was here earlier, but,
Yeah, I mean, they care forjust as if there were.
It was their own.
And, you know, wewe keep each other on point and,
you know, take care of each otherand, and work together hard.
(08:36):
So that's what keeps everything going.
Well, And,
The other thing is, isn'tthis one of the toughest businesses to be?
And not only are you dealing with foodand keeping people happy,
but it's it's the emotions of the day.Yeah.
I mean, you're dealing with brideswith weddings, people
(08:58):
who have so many differentspecial events here.
So to be a therapist.Yeah. You do sometimes. Yeah.
Gosh. Yeah.
I mean, coming from the restaurant.
So I kind of know both sides of it.A lot of people don't.
Some people are either in the cateringside or in the restaurant side, but,
they're both hard.
But this side, you do almost have to, youknow, things like have to be a therapist
(09:18):
because it's okay.They're coming in to eat and have a party.
But it's also it's the most important.They're the lions.
It's the wedding, you know,hopefully it's just a one time thing.
High stress, high emotions.
Yeah.
You know, and,you just there's no redo, right?
So I could have to go. Perfect.And there's no way to redo it.
That's right.
So the level of stress on the staffto make sure everything goes right
(09:38):
is extremely high, too,just as the as the guests themselves.
So it's like, you know, we say it's likeshow business, you know, it's like,
yeah, yeah.
Once the curtains drawn,it's like there's no reduce,
it's live show, you know, it's lot.
And you always have to beas the owner of the business,
you always have to keep pumping people up.Yeah. Get them ready.
And just letting them knowhow important this is and they know it.
But they have to really know it. Yeah.
(09:59):
Reputation is everything. Exactly.
You know, you. Want the referrals. Yeah.
You want people to say, oh my God,I had this amazing event at woodwinds.
You've got to go.
Which is usually the case with the guy.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, word of mouthreferrals is more important than anything.
Anything. You could spend as much moneyas you want to advertising.
But if you're not getting those,that word of mouth or those person reviews
(10:21):
or people telling their family and friendslike it's not going to work.
Your reviews are stellar.
You know, I've read through themand they always say the same thing,
that they they treat you like family,that everything went perfectly.
Or if something went wrong,
your general manager,Randy, took care of this or that already.
Enough. Whatever.
He's awesome. Yeah.
I mean, he's been with me forever.
(10:41):
He started, as a teenager,just as a staff member.
Now he's, you know, the head manager.
So he pretty much runs,most of the operation for me.
I mean, he's and I mean, the best thingabout that is he's been here forever.
He knows everything.
You know, he started from thebottom, worked his way up.
And it's it's hard to bring
in managers from outside because there'sa certain culture in every business, so.
(11:04):
But when you grow up in it,you are part of the culture. You know,
you don't have to figure things out or,you know, change things around.
And I think I've always noticedabout being a vendor,
I think what you guys really do, right,where a lot of people get it wrong,
is you make sure that you feed the vendorsthe first. Yes.
Yeah. Exactly.
That way when they're done,they're ready to work.
Yeah.
Too many times you go to another venue,they wait until the end.
(11:26):
Yeah.Everybody else is ready to get going.
You haven't eaten yet?
Yeah.
Your food
either goes cold, you got a box set up,or you don't have a chance to eat it.
You do it the right way.
Yeah, exactly.
And that's it seems like it'ssomething that's kind of small.
Yeah, I think you. Yeah.
Because when we saidmy husband was a photographer.
Yeah.
And I know he worked a lot of weddingswith you, did a lot together.
And he always kept coming to woodwindsbecause he knows that he would eat.
(11:50):
Yeah, exactly.
A lot of other places they don't. Yeah.
I mean, there'sso much going on after dinner.
If you guys don't eat first,you get that out of the way,
you're never going to be able to right?
And, I mean, you're here. It's a long day.
Oh, you have a lot of work going.
I mean, it's it's an all day thing.
You need your. Energy.
That was actually to keep it going. Him?
Yeah.
And and, you know,so many different things like how to,
(12:11):
you have, like, sewing kits,you have stain remover,
all the things that people,I think don't think about that
could happen where the bride would say,oh, I've got something on my dress.
I just tore my dress, I was dancing. Yeah.
It's like you fix it.
Yeah. If you're prepared for anything.
And it's stockedup, like in the bathroom with all that.
Yeah. Everything people need.
Like you said, if they have a headache,if they need mouthwash. Yep.
(12:32):
It's all that's active.
And, you know,it seems like it'd be standard,
but it's not a lot of venuesdon't do that. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.
So I mean it's like the staffhaving the solid staff like that,
like the core staff
you know helps a lotbecause they all know those things.
They all know that this is what we do.
This is how we take care of people.
You know, like you mentionedRandy and Ken, there's also Sergio,
(12:54):
who's been in the businessa very long time.
He deals with the brides directly,you know, they have Sergio,
he does some of the weddings and then, youknow, Randy does some of the other ones.
And also our head chef,Bill, we've known each other since he
he started working on my dadat the Monaco's.
Your father trained him.
You trained him directly? Yeah.
So he's our head chef now,which I bet works with him forever.
(13:16):
But what he.
Says a lot about you in this business,and that people stay so long for a.
Long time.
Yeah, yeah, but it's been it's been years.
And I mean, we're more brothersthan, you know, like coworkers.
I mean, we know each other.I think I was like, great.
I was maybe like 14 or 15and he was maybe like 20 when he started.
That's how long we known each other. Wow.
You think about back to the beginnings ofwoodwinds and now what has really changed
(13:38):
in the in the business, in the business,
because I know there'sa lot more competition nowadays.
Yeah. As well.
I mean, sorry,I have to be on your game more.
You have to be able to changemore rapidly.
I think that's,
you know, things like social
media and Pinterest,when Pinterest is popular,
those fads come a lot fasterand go a lot faster.
(13:59):
Oh, wait, a lot faster.
Oh, they do wait.
So what they're seeing right there,they come in and say, I want this.
Yeah. So that happens a lot.
But it spreads a lot faster. Beforeit was just like word of mouth.
But now it's like you can seewhat somebody is doing
at a weddingin California, Italy or whatever.
Europe. It's not just what's a local like.
You're these new visions or whateveryou want to call it,
(14:20):
are coming from all over the world,and you have to adapt to it immediately.
Yes. And they also go out of stylereally fast, too,
because the next thing is coming up. Yeah.
So what what is the is there a current fadgoing on right now that's different.
Right now really popularis like farm weddings which we got into.
So we're doing farm weddings.
(14:40):
So doing offsite catering.
So we do offsite catering.
You know, we do I just.I like doing it. Right. Wrong.
Yeah. So at a time right after Covid.
So during Covid, unfortunatelywe can use our building because of the,
you know, the temporary, bans on thatwith the guest counts and things.
So we, we would just do the weddingswhere we had to our doors.
So, I mean, we're doing it in people'shomes, friends homes, farms.
(15:03):
We started doing the farms we rented tentswith, doing them on our front lawn here.
We can use the building for months.
I remember doing a few weddingshere out in the front lawn, I think.
Tents? Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, yeah,
because the tents allowed us to have,
you know, kind of normal sizerunning indoors.
It was like a 25 to 50 person max.
And I mean our minimums are 75.
So it was either that or close.
(15:25):
And you know that was an option.
We wanted to make sureeverybody kept working. Yeah.
So we would go anywhere like whereversomebody if somebody's friend had a farm
or, you know,they would be able to rent one
and we would go everywhere and, you know,we were there.
Yeah. Yeah. Pretty.
Yeah. Yeah.
We were forced into it, unfortunately.
But we got really good at it.
So we kind of just kept going it.
Yeah. You know,there's no reason to stop at that point.
(15:47):
And I think that's kind of whatgot those outdoor weddings more popular
too, was during Covid,everybody was outdoors
and they ended up enjoying it more,you know.
And I think that too, you know, thatsince we live in such a now world,
what's happening?Everybody has cell phones. Yeah.
Everybody's taking pictures.
So you really have to be at the top ofyour game to as if somebody is rude.
Yeah, something's not happening.
They could put it all over social mediaright then and there.
(16:08):
And I teach my deejaysto do the same thing.
You're always being monitored.
Yeah. You gothere, you're in your best game.
Yeah. We're all about serving.
If somebody is rude and comes up to you,you kill them with kindness.
Yeah, I remember that.
Somebody all of a sudden,they can have the phone right on you.
Yeah, yeah, that's changed things a lot.
A lot.
Yeah. It's something.
No hiding the morning, John, is the.
Remember that your microphone in lifeis always on.
(16:32):
Right, right, right.
Mike is always on it. Yeah.
No matter where you go,you're representing your business as well,
whether you're there or not.
Just by the way you live your life.Yeah, exactly. Integrity.
And you and I talked about in techthat a lot,
you know, before the broadcastbegan today.
Yeah for. Sure.
You know, we had to talk aboutis how gorgeous this place is.
It is,first of all, it's, like, tucked away.
(16:53):
It's right off the highway. Yep.
And off of 95 by 95 in, Branford,Connecticut.
Yeah, but it's tucked away,and house is beautiful.
We call it the European manor feel to it.
And it's stunning.
Your grounds.You have to keep impeccable care.
(17:13):
Right on the grounds.A lot of work. Yes. A lot.
We actually,we have our own groundskeepers now.
We used to hire out companies, but,
you know, it's they have other jobs
I've seen to go to, so it's alwayshard to get somebody here all the time.
So we we just have full time.
I mean, in Sky, I mean versus. Grave.
Landscaperand we just take care of our own stuff
now beca and because it it's daily,you know, it's,
(17:35):
you constantly have to clean upand plant flowers and redo the ground.
So there's no, you can't miss a day or twobecause the next wedding is coming up,
you know? Right.
Those pictures are not up to parthen that reflects badly on you.
And everybody sees that,and it's just not good.
If you go to the wood wince.com,you'll see a lot of those photos on there.
(17:56):
Yeah, yeah.
But again,I just love the idea that you've
ventured outbecause I love doing farm weddings too.
Yeah, that's a big, big dealnowadays. Yeah, they love that.
You know, rustic barnweddings are a big deal now.
Yeah, they really do love it.
Yeah, yeah.
Wonder what the next fad will be.
But, honestly, it's.
You used to be able to see stuff comingbecause things would come and go slowly.
(18:16):
Yeah. Now. Yeah.
Like no idea.
Like it just comes out of nowhereand then just.
It's just. Rapid fire.Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah, yeah.
And it could be what a celebrity just did.
Exactly. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.
Okay.
Is there anything that we haven't hit yetthat you'd like people to know about?
Wood winds?
What makes you so unique?
What makes you so specialin the marketplace?
Oh, I guessI mean, the main thing would be the food.
(18:37):
Just because we, you know,we started in the,
restaurant business,all the restaurant business.
So it's definitely differentthan, like a banquet type of food. And,
you know, our, our chefs
all came from, you know, in shorthandwith my dad, and I feel like.
Ray, when we came here,we brought that same type of thing.
So we try to give that,
you know, that made to order feelto even, like our banquets.
(19:00):
And I think we did pretty well with that.
You know, that is one of the thingswe hear the most.
And then, just like you said, the servicewe do go above and beyond.
There really isn't much that.
So we try not to do.
You know, there's if somebody needssomething, we will make it happen.
So you know.
Yeah, that that's the thing.
I think people love the factthat people don't want to
hear, well, sorry, I can't do that. Yeah.
(19:21):
If there is a waywe're going to make it happen. Yeah.
I mean, obviously you can't, you know,just make everything happen all the time.
But you want to say there's a waywe're going to make it.
Yeah, exactly.
It's all how you respond. Exactly.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
So when you have metwith a bride and groom, let's say,
did you ever think don't get married?
(19:43):
You two were never gonna.
Make, I mean, you know what.
I hate to say, but,yeah, it just like times out.
The best in the worst in a person.
During that time of stressof planning the wedding.
Yeah, I watch those hallmark movies.
I see the stress, even thoughthey have a happy ending at the end.
Yeah, but there has to be timeswhere you thought, oh, my God, definitely.
I mean, it brings the best out of people.
(20:03):
Also, the worst fears are that
it's a very high stressand like the planning and we try to
that's one of the things we try to dois to make it as smooth as possible.
So we try to take care of almost,you know, everything for them.
So there's not.
There's not the stress.
Yeah. But, you know, it is. Yeah.
I mean, you've seen some stuff over there.
Oh, you did right.
(20:24):
Which I'm. Sure John has a. Enjoy.
So I was just going to say,when I meet with these couples
and I meet, you know, 2 or 3 couplesa week, you know, for consultations
and you'll you could tell by the,the eye contact and.
Oh, they're like bickering already. Yeah.
And they're not even through the honeymoonperiod. Right.
Yeah. Yeah, but there was this one guy.
I've deejay three of his weddings.
Yeah. Over the past year. Well,
(20:45):
yeah, three of his weddings.
And we've actually,we've actually done a few divorce parties.
Oh, have you ever catered the divorceparties?
No, I yeah,I've actually had a few divorce parties.
They're among the best parties
I've ever donebecause they actually got along better.
Oh, yeah. Right after they were.
Divorceparties. Could be a whole new model.
The divorce parties, they both showed up.
(21:05):
They both showed up.
Wow. Yeah, I believe they probablywould get along better.
Yeah.
I was like 3 or 4 of the divorce parties,you know, so, Tony,
next time I get a divorce party,I'll give you a call.
That'll be a hell of a first for you.
Let me know.
But but Imean, you just again, a testimony to you
because I've been hereso many times over the past years.
Yeah.And it's just been always a pleasure.
(21:26):
And I'm not just saying thatbecause you're with me right now.
But we've had many conversations,
you know, privatelyand you really know how to treat people.
Yeah. And I think that'swhat makes me excited about coming here.
Yeah.
I mean, you as well, John
M, you're a consummate professional,like in your industry.
We never, you know, when you're here,we know there's never going
to be any issues.
Everything's going to gosmooth and professional.
So, I mean, the same with you,you know for sure.
(21:48):
But thank you.
Thank you. Joyce,
I know you've worked here for a long,long time as well and work with Tony.
And every time I hear you, hear you talkabout Tony, as always in glowing terms.
Absolutely.
I know it's a mutual admirationsociety here.
You know, it's like family.It was just like, for sure.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We trust each other. That loyalty.
Yeah, it means a lot.
That's for sure.
Trust and loyalty go a long, long way.
(22:08):
But, Tony, thank you so much for being onand sharing a little bit
about our backgroundin talking about woodwinds.
And I just I admire the way you talkabout your family,
where you honor and Revere your family.
That means a lot to me.And I know it means a lot to you.
And thank you for tuning in toWhat's Good with John and Joyce.
Available on all streaming platforms,you can subscribe for free on YouTube.
Tell a friend about uswho needs good news.
(22:30):
No negativity, all positive, upbeat and
like we always say, no politics.
Whenever I say that to people,they usually say we're tuning in now.
Yeah, I know, so I really yeah.So thank you so much.
And Tony, thank you so much and lots. Ofthanks guys.
Yeah appreciate it. Bye for now.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.