Char Broil Family Restaurant, as it is known and loved today, began with Tom Tette and his son Shawn purchasing the business in 1999. But the story of the Tette family serving the Rochester community delicious food doesn’t just begin there.

The Cup and Saucer, a diner owned and operated by Tom’s parents, was located in the other half of his childhood home. Tom grew up, quite literally, in the restaurant business before officially joining it as a full-time career as a young adult. Tom’s sons, Tom M., Shawn and Michael, also grew up in the business, from playing in their grandparent’s restaurant to helping as waiters, servers or kitchen staff in the family’s other establishments throughout the years.

Tom and Shawn purchased the Char Broil in 1999 with the dream of bringing this neighborhood gathering place to the next level and create the “Fine Diner Experience” we know and love today. Their first step? Expanding the original menu.

Wholesome, family recipes are the cornerstone to the Char Broil’s diverse and delicious dishes. While they worked to expand the restaurant’s original menu with fresh ideas, they enlisted the help of Tom’s wife, Linda.