Dusty and Desiree Andrews, two longtime employees, became owners this fall. Courtesy | Rick Tropiano
Two longtime employees of Johnny T’s Bistro bought the restaurant at the end of September and say they hope to expand catering services but don’t plan to make major changes.
Dusty and Desiree Andrews worked for the restaurant for years and said they fell in love with its community oriented atmosphere.
“We plan to keep the menu relatively the same,” Desiree Andrews said. “We would just like to see our business expand more, especially in our catering services and in how we give back to the community with our service.”
Former owner Rick Tropiano said he and his wife wanted to retire and move on from the restaurant.
“It is not always common to sell a restaurant while it is still profitable,” Tropiano said. “My wife and I didn’t want to be in a position where we had to sell the restaurant out of desperation, and we believe Dusty and Desiree’s desire to own the restaurant was God’s working.”
Tropiano came to Hillsdale in 1993 and took over the restaurant in 2009. Johnny T’s Bistro offers a casual dining atmosphere and features different cuisines, mainly Italian, Mediterranean, and American food.
“We offer a pretty broad palate,” Tropiano said. “Being involved for as long as I was, it was a hobby and passion of mine to research and develop different ideas regarding the cuisine.”
Tropiano said the decision to sell to Dusty and Desiree was natural because he had already taught them how to run the business.
“Dusty started working for the restaurant at an early age doing dishes and Desiree joined later, and they both fell in love with the business,” Tropiano said. “I enjoyed teaching them both over the years about the business and trust that they are both capable of keeping it successful.”
Tropiano also said the Andrews are able to appeal to a broader age demographic in a way that he could not.
“They have such a good advantage being as young as they are,” Tropiano said. “They can work technology better than I can, cater to the younger age demographic, and offer new services and items.”
The idea of selling started a year and a half ago, according to Tropiano. Since then, he and his wife have been hands-off to prepare for a smoother transition for the new owners. Desiree said she is grateful to Tropiano for equipping her with the skills necessary to run the business.
“I worked for a while under Rick’s supervision, and he taught me everything,” Desiree said. “Dusty and I had management experience but not business experience, and Rick helped a lot with that to make it an easier transition.”
House Director of Galloway Residence JoAnn Arendt said Johnny T’s is her favorite restaurant and that it will continue to do well under new ownership. Arendt’s daughter married the Tropianos’ son, and Arendt has since been a regular customer of the restaurant.
“It is a good place to go for friendships, good food, and reasonable prices,” Arendt said. “I wish the Tropianos great times in their retirement and I look forward to continuing to go there for great service.”
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