On Tuesday, August 15, the Assante Ristorante Italiano family celebrated their 20th anniversary milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony, festivities for all ages and a sold-out mouth-watering buffet feast that was fit for a king.
For over 20 years, the Assante family has been serving delicious authentic Italian food to their loyal customers who keep coming back for more. Located on Main Street in Northampton, they are truly a staple of the community.
Assante’s customers would agree that their Italian cuisine doesn’t just delight your taste buds, but it’s also good for the soul—whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, eating out with your family and friends, or even eating your feelings, Assante’s is there for you through all of it.
Leading up to the event, the Italian restaurant sold over 300 tickets in just a few days and had an influx of businesses wanting to be a part of their anniversary celebration.
Guests were lined up for the feast and festivities before sitting down to enjoy their buffet selections in the outdoor tented areas as the smell of irresistible Italian food permeated the air, making everyone’s stomachs growl in anticipation.
The buffet, filled with all of the traditional Italian favorites was a pasta lover’s dream with a range of dishes prepared by chefs Giulio and Maruo.
In addition to the buffet, the celebration had a bounce house, balloon animals, face painting for kids, a photo booth, cornhole, live music by Michael Sherer, and an incredible assortment of baskets donated by various local businesses to be raffled off.
Greater Northampton Area Chamber of Commerce Liaison and Executive Vice President of Affiliated Chambers for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Jessica O’Donnell-Gower congratulated Assante Ristorante Italiano on their 20 years of business and wished them another successful 20 years. The Chamber was also joined by local and state officials such as Pa. State Senator Nick Miller, Pa. State Rep. Zach Mako (who loves Assante’s so much that he had them cater his wedding), Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, and Selina Winchester from Rep. Susan Wild’s office, who all provided certificates to the Assante family congratulating their 20 years of business.
Borough of Northampton Mayor Anthony Pristash also provided a proclamation commemorating the 20th anniversary of Assante’s grand opening and proclaiming Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023 as Assante Ristorante Italiano Day.
Mayor Pristash wished them continued success in the future and thanked the Assante family for dedicating 20 years to serving countless culinary creations and warm dining experiences.
The Assante family, including Mario, Luisa, Rosanna, Giulio, Nicola (Nic) and Nunzia, were overcome with joy as everyone counted down from five and Luisa cut the big blue ribbon marking 20 years of food, family and love shared with the community.
After the ribbon cutting, Nic shared his family’s story on how they got started, which began when Mario and Luisa decided to move their family here from Italy with the hopes of giving their children a better life over 20 years ago.
“I will be honest; it wasn’t easy when we first moved here. It was just the six of us. We had moved to New Jersey and lived in a two-bedroom apartment with all six of us until we finally found this place. On Aug. 15, 2003, we officially renamed it Assante’s and fast forward 20 years later, because of all of you, we are where we are today!”
Then, Nic thanked everyone for coming to their special celebration, including the Chamber and the businesses that donated raffle baskets.
“Without your love and support, we would not be able to keep doing what we love,” Nic expressed.
He also took the time to especially thank the Assante staff for all of their hard work and dedication, as well as Linda Bertoni, Toni Groube and Maria Martuscelli who helped plan and set up the event.
There wasn’t an empty seat to be had under the dining tent as guests ate, drank and mingled during the momentous anniversary celebration.
Throughout the night, the outpour of love and support that the Assante family received during their anniversary celebration clearly showed just how important the restaurant is to the community, and it sure doesn’t hurt that the wafting smell of their savory sauce is enough to make anyone’s mouth water.
Undoubtedly, Assante Ristorante Italiano will have customers coming back for more of their refined Italian cuisine for another 20 years.
