“It’s been a long, long time, and it’s been wonderful. Everyone in the Community has supported us through the ups and downs.”
Those are the words of Sara Galina, one of the owners/managers of Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in Manitowoc. T
hey held a 30th Anniversary Ribbon Cutting yesterday (December 14th), celebrating a landmark reached by one of the city’s most iconic eateries.
Sara and her husband Nick, who passed in 2003, brought their family to Manitowoc from Sicily, Italy in 1991, not really knowing what was next.
She says it kind of came to them on a trip to see a relative.
“We were up in Suamico, where my sister’s restaurant, Luigi’s has been open for 36 years,” Galina explained. “We wanted to open a place, but didn’t know where. We found this empty supper club, and there we went.”
Multi-generational families have served and been served great Italian cuisine and more, which have won numerous awards and recognition from the community.
Sara says they couldn’t have done it without them.
“I have so many…loyal customers. We have become family to them,” Galina told Seehafer News. “We are all good friends, and we feel like we are all family. My employees too. One big Luigi’s family.”
When asked what her key to success is, Galina said simply, “Consistency. Consistency is number one.”
Sara’s son Stephano and daughter Christina run a majority of the day-to day operations.
As for how long she’ll continue to work, Sara says “We’ll take it a day at a time. Our family has been so blessed.”
The actual 30th anniversary occurs on December 26th.
