“Abbasso at the Downbeat” is set to open in November, with new
menus, a new interior and new owners, operators and employees.
The new general manager of the restaurant, Kimberlee Hoy Slotter
of Bradford, sat down to talk with The Era Thursday about her plans
for operating the restaurant when it re-opens next month.
“We -ðPureTech Group, our chef and myself -ðare very excited
about our new venture. We have been working very hard to create a
wonderful menu and an inviting atmosphere with old world charm,”
she said. “Our goal is to bring a new standard of dining excellence
to the area at a fair price.”
Slotter said while the restaurant will be the same structurally,
the interior will be completely re-done with new carpets, wall
paper and color scheme. They also have all new equipment for the
bar and kitchen.
“The decor will be completely different,” she went on, adding
she was shooting for an authentic Tuscany, old world Italian
look.
Greg Huber said in August on behalf of PureTech Group, who
purchased the restaurant from previous owner Peter Kervin of
Bradford, that his company wanted to go back to The Downbeat’s
roots and resurrect an authentic Italian restaurant.
That is where the idea for the restaurant’s new name, Abbasso at
the Downbeat, comes from – abbasso meaning “down” in Italian.
Slotter said the group wanted to keep the restaurant’s old name,
“The Downbeat,” because they felt the restaurant is historically
important to the area.
The Camas family opened The Downbeat in 1948, and operated it
under the same name at two locations, including the current one at
27 Main St., until the 1980s.
To achieve the authentic Italian cuisine, Huber and Slotter are
bringing in two certified chefs. The head chef will be Bradford
native Matthew Cawley, who is a graduate of the Pennsylvania
Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh.
“You never know when our chef will pop out of the kitchen to
check on you himself,” Slotter said.
She said the menu will offer choice cuts of beef, seafood, veal,
lamb and chicken dishes in addition to the Italian dishes. They
will offer a lunch menu and children’s menu. Slotter has even hired
a baker to specialize in homemade desserts, she said.
The restaurant will still offer a full bar and will now allow
patrons to purchase bottles of wine to enjoy at their table.
Slotter said having a bottle of wine at the table for dinner is
something that is not done at other restaurants in the area, that
she is aware of.
There will still be recorded music playing through dinner as
there always was at The Downbeat, and down the road, she said, they
may bring in live musicians to provide dinner music.
Slotter said she has already been inundated with applications
from people looking to work at Abbasso at the Downbeat, and is
happy about the number of responses she has received because it
will give her the opportunity to employ the best.
She said she is looking for 20 to 25 total employees from the
Bradford area. Applications are available through the PA CareerLink
at the Union Square plaza.
“We want to provide excellent service and excellent food at a
fair price,” Slotter said.
Huber, who was also on hand helping with the remodeling, said he
hired Slotter because she “exemplifies what (his company) stands
for.” They strive to bring in and put out the “best of the best,”
and that is what Slotter brings to the table, Huber said.
Slotter has always been around the restaurant business, she
said, adding her mother owned and operated restaurants in the
Smethport area and that she has worked in the business herself for
at least seven years. She was formerly the manager at Togi’s
restaurant in Bradford, she said.
Abbasso at the Downbeat will also offer catering services,
Slotter said, adding she has already booked some Christmas
parties.
