Inspiring Conversations with Dan Leber of Berardis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Leber.

Hi Dan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Berardi’s started at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio in 1939 having won the bid to pave the midway. Al Berardi stayed at Cedar Point and started selling skee ball tickets in the penny arcade working 60 hours a week for an $11 weekly paycheck. By 1942 The Berardi Family had opened a concession stand on the midway selling hand washed, hand cut french fried potatoes. Al’s mother Eurosia (known as Mama Berardi) joined in and with her help over the next 30+ years the Berardi family not only opened several more concession stands at the park but also became an owner operator of many of the rides and attractions at Cedar Point such as “the flying dark ride” now known as “the monster”, the tilt-a-whirl and many more. In addition Secondo Berardi also opened the “spaghetti hut” on the Cedar Point midway where he sold spaghetti dinners for .75 cents!

By the early 1970’s, with two french fry stands on the midway the Berardi family was selling as much as 2 tons of potatoes PER DAY at the park. That’s up to 25,000 pounds of potatoes, every one washed and cut by hand, fried to order every single week! It was believed at that time that the Berardi Family was the single largest private purchaser of potatoes in the entire United States!

In 1978, after almost 40 years of tremendous success inside the park, the Berardi family, along with many of the private operators in the park at that time, left. The Berardi family went on to open several area restaurants including the “BZB” (for busy berardi) and the “Wagon Wheel” which specialized not only in roast beef sandwiches & our now famous french fries but also went on to showcase another Berardi. By this time Al Berardi’s wife Rosanne had begun to make a name for herself with her homemade baked goods. Her own recipes earned Roseanne countless awards and recognition, Her pies became almost as popular as the fries! Her daughter Maria, continues on her legacy and still uses many of those recipes to make our homemade pies today at our Sandusky location.

Al and Roseanne had 8 children several of which helped to own and operate the restaurants through the years including her daughters Denise Berardi-Waaland, Maria Berardi, Sue Berardi-Fawcett and Carol Berardi along with the youngest, Al Berardi Jr. Tom Leber, married Maria and joined the family in the 1970’s managing various locations before he and Maria purchased from Al and Roseanne the rights to operate as Berardi’s in Sandusky in 1978.

The current Sandusky location, formally the Stadium Dinner, at one point considered the world largest dinner, was opened in 1989 after Tom and Maria had operated for years prior down the street. While their son Dan Leber, a fourth generation Berardi restaurateur is now the primary owner, taking over day to day operations years ago, Tom and Maria still remain heavily involved. Maria still bakes Roseanne’s homemade pie recipes every day and they both continue to contribute to the standard of excellence set decades ago by Secondo, Eurosia, Al and Roseanne Berardi before them.

In 2022, Dan Leber created Berardi Brands LLC. Co-founded with Tony McGue, son of Carol Berardi & current owner operator of Berardi’s Restaurant in Huron and Tom Sterling, son of Denise Berardi-Waaland & current owner operator of Berardi Concessions. The company was created to protect the now historic brand and to officially license all current and future Berardi food service operations. The goal to maintain the quality and commitment to excellence synonymous with our brand. Collectively, Dan, Tony & Tom already have over 70 years experience as the 4th generation to own and operate under the Berardi name.

From the last 80 years to the next 80 years the Berardi family of restaurants remain steadfast in our dedication and insistence on quality that has been passed through the generations.

From our family to yours, THANK YOU!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
restaurants are never easy. Hard work, long days are the norm. Over 80 years in business means we’ve survived a lot. Recessions, world wars, food shortages, labor shortages, inflation, regulation and Covid to name a few.

Where we are unique is not only because of the great leadership we’ve had but because of a special group of staff members that have been with us for many, many years. “You win with people” as famously stated by the late Woody Hayes and that is something we live by. Our great staff have allowed us to overcome many challenges that sink other restaurants. DYK the average length of employment for a foodservice worker in the U.S. is approx. only 58 days! Less than 2 months! But at Berardis in Sandusky our average length of employment for our current staff members is 12.2 YEARS. Good staff is hard to find so when we do, we make sure to take care of them to the best of our ability. We have 2 ladies that have been with us for 50 years, one that actually started at the fry stand at Cedar Point and they still work here today! We have more than a dozen employee’s out of an average of 55 total staff members that have been with us for over 20 years, another dozen with 10 years + and 31 total employees with at least 5 + years working here! That longevity amongst our staff is simply unheard of in the industry and very likely amongst the most experienced overall staff at any restaurant anywhere in the U.S. We truly are unique!

We’ve been impressed with Berardis, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are known for quality home cooked comfort foods. While we are most known for our Famous Hand Cut Fries we have evolved into so much more now known for our homemade soups, salads, pies and elite service. We are “where the locals eat” in a town defined by tourism. And when you ask a local what their favorite item is here you are likely to get a variety of answers. Our foods are made from scratch, by hand just like we did the fries in 1942. Our dressings, sauces, specials, sides and desserts all made daily using old family recipes. We skimp on nothing using only the best possible raw ingredients and still doing it all the hard way; by hand, to order, in a hot kitchen. Then the best, most experienced staff in the industry serves you. We are blessed.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
we have an amazing community that has supported us strongly and takes as much pride in us as we do them. It’s a tourist town, which means there’s a long “off-season” that needs to be navigated every year. Our community steps up and supports us in that time year after year. We couldn’t be more thankful

Pricing:

• family friendly pricing

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sanduskyberardis.com
• Facebook: Sandusky Berardis