Our History
Kristie and Jim Frascati, the owners of Capish! Pizza-Ristorante in Le Roy, New York, welcome you. Our mission is to give you a reason to come back regularly by providing you an affordable high quality Italian cuisine inspired by our family’s authentic Sicilian food recipes. Our goal is to provide our guests with an entire dining experience that exceeds their expectations on a constant basis.
As I kid, growing up in Altavilla Milicia, a small town about 40 Km. east of Palermo, Sicily, the word “CAPISH!” was quite common to me when my mom would constantly discipline me for misbehaving. It means basically, do you understand? On December 22, 1972 at the age of 12, my parents immigrated to the USA for a better life and we settled in Rochester, New York, where many of my mother’s siblings had already settled.
Finding the right name for a business isn’t as easy as one would think. Initially I was going to name the restaurant “La Coffa” (a Sicilian handbag.) Kristie didn’t care for it and when Capish! came to light we knew that would be the perfect fit.
In the summer of 2015 I began working on my pizzeria business plan. I wanted it to be a brick oven at the perfect place. After an extensive research I drove to Baltimore where I met with the owners of Marra Forni. Three Italian brothers from Naples, Italy who started a very successful brick oven manufacturing business. After spending two days with the Marra brothers the decision to buy their product was an easy choice. The oven type, its size and tile color was equally important for my business plan.
Now I had to find the perfect location. After looking for months at various towns within Monroe County nothing stood out. That was until I decided to take a drive in the country and ended up in Le Roy where after speaking to a few residents I learned Le Roy and the surrounding area has a large Italian population and has historical significance. It just felt right instantly.
For the past 22 years I’ve taken groups of people to Italy on a tour I named “Best of Italy.” While on my one of my tours in September, 2015, Donna, a Le Roy resident, heard me talking about my business venture. I happened to look at the LB Grand restaurant prior to the trip, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. Donna pointed out to this building and following our return from Italy was instrumental in arranging a meet with the owner. The building had been closed for several years and needed extensive repairs, which I truly believe most people would just walk away. I didn’t see it that way. I can sincerely state I loved the building from the moment I stepped inside. The exterior appearance, the red brick wall on one side and the stained glass window made me realize I had found the “perfect location” I had been searching for.
In 1889 the building was the home of the Bank of Le Roy. Where the bar stands today was the vault at one time. Years later the building became known as Mickey’s Bar Fiesta, followed by Pontillo’s Pizzeria. Following several months of renovation Capish! Pizza-Ristorante opened for business on March 20, 2017. I am proud to announce that on January 31, 2017 the building was officially approved as being of historical importance and was entered in the National Register of Historic Places by the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. By the way, the Giraffe is now at the Le Roy Museum.
I want to ensure each guest prompt, professional, friendly and courteous service while at the same time provide you with a warm atmosphere and social gathering place for the entire family. My staff and I will treat everyone with respect and dignity you deserve and promise to keep our restaurant clean and a safe environment with all the comforts we can possibly provide you.