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Balloon’s Restaurant an Auburn Institution
Back in 1934 Carmella and John D’Angelo or “Dom” opened up a restaurant at the corner of Washington and Barber streets that has gone on to become an institution in Auburn known as Balloon’s. Their four boys, Dominick, Anthony, Adolph and John “Shimer” D’Angelo, all worked in the business with their parents. When he first moved to Auburn from Italy, John Sr. would sell balloons at every parade downtown, and soon people gave him the moniker of “Johnny Balloon.” When he opened the restaurant, he named it Balloon’s.
When Balloon’s first opened up in 1934, a barber shop took up the space that the restaurant and bar occupy today. The D’Angelos remodeled and moved the barber shop to the side. Today it is a small dining room.
Balloon’s opened up with a 12-foot bar, three tables, four booths and a small kitchen. They served 5-cent hot dogs and fish fries, and spaghetti was 25 cents. A glass of beer was 5 cents and the ice to cool it was brought by “Miller the Iceman” as there was no refrigeration. Dom spent from 1934 to 1988 behind the bar at Balloon’s, quite often sporting a cigar.
Mike and Patty Orofino of Downtown Deli ran Balloon’s from 1987 to 1991 and they carried on the fine tradition of quality food at Balloon’s. In 1991, Bernie Simmons took over Balloon’s and he and his staff have continued to offer Central New York a quality restaurant that ranks with the best.
Balloon’s Trademark
Steaks, salads and Italian food have been Balloon’s foundation for success since they started. Another trademark is that they always have had male waiters who had worked there “forever.” Those being John Donofrio and his brother Tony Donofrio.
“He’s a legend,” said Simmons. “He” is Tony Donofrio, who celebrated his 60th anniversary at the restaurant in ‘02. It’s said, one in every five customers asked specifically for Tony when they went to dinner at Balloon’s.
Tony lived kitty-corner to the restaurant on Washington Street and began working to help out his friend and boss of 45 years, Dominic D’Angelo. Donofrio is said to have thought about buying his own place, but he didn’t need to since most of the customers thought he owned the Auburn eatery. Sadly, Anthony “Duffy” Donofrio, died August 5, 2006. He is missed by many, and will always be remembered for his sharp dry wit, his strong work ethic and his charm.
Meet Bernie Simmons
How Simmons bought Balloons Restaurant
“My wife and I had been looking for the right place to purchase for about two years. We were well aware that Balloons had been a viable Auburn business for over 50 years. I got a phone call about Balloons just as another deal we were working on for another area restaurant fell through. We began negotiations with the owners and six months later we closed the deal. We’ve owned Balloons for 16 years now and never looked back. We bought an institution in Auburn, though some of my friends and family thought I should be institutionalized for how much work we’ve put into this.”
In a few words, describe what your business is
Balloon’s has always been known as Auburn’s steakhouse and we tried to keep that tradition. We’re famous for our house salad dressing — the original recipe — and we get asked for the recipe probably 25 times a week, but we won’t give it out, of course. We make every salad to order. The restaurant used to have a real Italian flavor and we’ve kept some of those things, like our eggplant parmesan, homemade lasagna and other pastas. A favorite dish is our East Utica Greens, made with prosciutto, banana pepper rings, Romano cheese, escarole, garlic and olive oil, served warm. One of our signature steaks is our drunken rib eye, coated with a bourbon sauce and served with Kentucky bourbon butter on top. Balloon’s is casual family-style dining and we seat about 100 people. We also have an extensive catering business that we operate out of Balloon’s.
Number of employees
About 20 part- and full-time employees. All my children have worked here, and my wife, Terry, is involved in the financial end of things.
Were you involved in the business before owning it?
I worked as a manager at the Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles. I worked in Houston, Texas, for a number of years for the Bennigan’s Restaurants. I also worked in Florida for several restaurants. I started in the restaurant business at age 17.
What’s your favorite part of running this business?
These past few years have been amazing because business has been tremendous. Most of all I love the people I’ve met since I’ve been here, all the customers. You never know who your next best customer is going to be, so you try to treat everybody the same.
What led you to do this?
The entrepreneurial bug was in me and it was always a dream of mine. I thought about it for years and my wife was always supportive. Without her support it never would have happened. Working for other people and seeing what they did I got a well-rounded, hands-on education in the business from some of the best people around. I was born and raised in Auburn and Terry is from Marcellus. We came back to Auburn in ‘86.
What’s the nicest thing a customer ever said to you?
People tell me all the time how great my kids are and what a great job they do for me here. They talk about the food and that they've had a great meal. This is a very unpretentious place. It’s an old neighborhood bar that's just kind of beat the odds.
Mother’s Day Fire
An unfortunate restaurant milestone was when Balloon’s suffered a kitchen fire during their Mother’s Day brunch in ‘06. Auburn firefighters were called to Balloon’s just half an hour after the start of brunch. Simmons recalls they were there in two minutes, had the blaze under control in half an hour and no one was hurt.
Although smoke and water damage kept Balloon’s closed for a month after, Simmons took the opportunity to install new carpets, update the dining rooms, put a new floor in the bar room and install new kitchen equipment.
Simmons’ Side Businesses
In the early ‘90s, Simmons ran the concessions stand at Emerson Park on Owasco Lake. Then in May of ’05, Simmons won the bid to serve dinners in the historic pavilion at Emerson Park. Emerson Grille catered to patrons of the Merry-Go-Round Theater, operating June through September. Simmons’ latest endeavor is serving as the House Manager at Owasco Country Club. He has also recently thrown his hat into the political arena and is running for Town Councilman in Owasco.
Owasco Country Club
OCC Chair Andy Feocco shared, “In June our past House Manager decided to explore his fortunes in Florida, leaving an important position vacant at a critical time as we entered peak season. In short order, a new Manager, Bernie Simmons, was at the helm and since then the Club’s performance has been on an upswing.
The financial performance of the restaurant and bar has improved dramatically in comparison to the past years, in large part due to Bernie’s expertise in all facets of restaurant management. There is a revised and well-accepted menu, along with a variety of weekly specials, competitive purchasing practices, inventory reduction, appropriate staffing and service hours, and Internet communication with membership.”
How does Simmons make it all work?
I have a very understanding wife and five of the greatest children that help make it all possible. I also employ some of the finest people in Auburn.
Many thanks!
From the very first chefs, Adele and Louie Borga, who came here from New York City, there have been a host of others who have cooked, bartended or waited on tables over the years. Many thanks for making the past 73 years in Auburn a whole lot brighter!
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