This week is Dom Rossi’s last week as Trasca & Co. Eatery’s general manager, and it has caused much reminiscing for both him and the business as he looks back at his time with the company.
Rossi first started at Trasca in 2018 and has really come full circle in his time there from being a regular employee to general manager in 2020.
“We got through COVID together and I helped with the transition of the Ponte Vedra Tap Room from just the restaurant it was before,” Rossi said. “We’re bringing in a new crowd on top of the family atmosphere we’ve always had.”
During his time at Trasca, Rossi has seen himself grow in many ways both as the person he is and within the business.
“Professionally I’ve grown a lot learning the ins and outs of the restaurant industry,” Rossi said. “I’ve learned everything from ordering, cleaning and maintenance to HR and training and hiring people. There’s just so many aspects that go into running a restaurant. Learning a customer’s needs and how it can help grow the profit and standing of the restaurant is so important.”
Rossi moved to the area from Columbus, Ohio in 2018 and was working 20-30 hours a week at Trasca and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Trasca worked with him to adjust hours so that he could remain on the staff, and for that he is still extremely grateful to this day.
After a couple of years on the job he became the restaurant’s general manager.
“I saw Sara (Frasca, founder and owner of Trasca) interviewing people, so I threw my hat in the ring as well,” Rossi said. “I’ve had a lot of influence and networks I could reach out to help through the growing pains I went through.”
On top of being in the middle of the creation of the Ponte Vedra Tap Room and becoming a common sight for customers behind the bar, he also helped in the addition of new beers to the selection and adding more televisions throughout the restaurant.
According to Rossi, the moves have really created a vibrant and fun atmosphere, especially on weekends during the football season as it has given the community a place to go and cheer on their teams together.
There are many regular customers that Rossi will miss as he moves on to his next endeavor, but he thanks Trasca for the great memories and good times.
“I am really proud of my ability to build relationships with my employees,” Rossi said. “Hopefully, I left a good impression of what a good boss should act like.”
