Restaurant scarfs up success

The novice restaurant owners have found so much success that they built a new location with twice the seating.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
CORNERSBURG -- Tired of fast-paced Los Angeles, Frank and Diane Davidson returned home 10 years ago, looking for a simpler, more traditional life.
They found the Midwest lifestyle they were looking for -- county fairs, friendly greetings and no traffic jams. But the Canfield natives found much more.
They learned they were excellent restaurant operators, even though they had no experience before they took over the former Telstar Restaurant six years ago.
Davidson's Restaurant and Bar has been so successful that they just moved it to a new location on Canfield Road, just behind the original restaurant. Seating has increased from 80 to 200.
"When we're alone, we just shake our heads sometimes. We're amazed at what we've been able to accomplish," Davidson said.
The attraction: The success of the restaurant is wonderful, but there is a deeper satisfaction about returning to the Mahoning Valley, Mrs. Davidson said.
She explained that satisfaction by relating a visit she paid to Blanche Vantresco before they opened the restaurant six years ago. Mrs. Vantresco started the Telstar in 1969 with her sister, Norena Donatelli, and their husbands, Perry and Danny.
Mrs. Vantresco welcomed Mrs. Davidson into her kitchen and spent six hours teaching the secrets of the original Telstar pasta sauce. Mrs. Davidson still has a vivid image in her mind of Mrs. Vantresco, standing over her stove, stirring the sauce in a large pot.
That never would happen in Los Angeles, she said.
"This is why I moved home, for experiences like that," Mrs. Davidson said.
Davidson and his wife returned to this area without any job opportunities because he had made enough money selling office products in Los Angeles.
When they took over the restaurant, it had been closed for eight months. The original owners had sold it about 10 years ago.
Leap of faith: The Davidsons didn't plan much before taking it over.
"It was blind faith, I guess," Davidson said. "We knew it had a good following of people, and the location was excellent. We thought, 'What the heck,' and dove into it."
They bought the plaza where the vacant restaurant was located but were unable to negotiate a sale of the Telstar name. They kept much of the same menu and many of the same employees.
The hardest part wasn't related to food or food service, he said. The difficult part was learning about all the permits that are needed and dealing with the red tape, he said.
New site: Davidson said they moved the restaurant not only because of the crowds but also because the original building was aging.
The new restaurant is at the former location of Linda Diamond Dance Studio. The Davidsons built an addition to the former studio and remodeled the interior.
The new place is three times the size of the original. Four waitresses used to work on Friday nights; now there are nine. There are 60 employees now, instead of just a handful when Davidson's first opened.
The new building also has allowed the Davidsons to plan the restaurant design, including handicapped-accessible entrances, a separate smoking section and separate restrooms for the bar and restaurant.
Mrs. Davidson said the new decor will complement the restaurant's upscale menu that is featured on Saturday nights.
"I expect our Saturday menu will take off because now we have the environment. Now we can be a destination restaurant," she said.