By Ashley Penick
Angeli’s Restaurant and Catering will be celebrating its 30th anniversary on May 1, 2026.
Recently, I had a chance to talk with Tony Angeli, my boss, about the restaurant and how it got started.
Tony said he’d been in the restaurant business since he was 16 and he’d always wanted to start a place of his own. His first business was a concession company called Bojo’s that he started with his girlfriend, now his wife, in 1987. Since the seasonal business operated from April through October, and Tony wanted to keep busy during the winter months, he began thinking about a year-round concept.
Bojo’s is still in business today, but on a much more limited basis.
How Angeli’s location was chosen
Fate was the reason Angeli’s opened at its current location.
“I was at Casey’s Foods in Naperville one day getting a hotdog for $1 and I ran into my friend, Rudy Krueger. Rudy mentioned the Chicago Avenue location of Lanonnas was for sale.”
Coincidentally, Lanonnas was where Tony met his wife, Trinette, when he worked as a waiter and she worked there, too. Tony is proud to say Trinette is a 1986 graduate of Naperville North High School.
Tony eventually opened the restaurant in 1996, in partnership with two other people, Andrew Mastrino and John Taylor. They expanded eight years later and then again another eight years later to the current four store fronts that Angeli’s occupies today.
This enabled the restaurant to double in size not once, but twice. In 2020, Andrew and John stepped away from the business to move onto other business ventures.
Kitchen design accommodates the growth
Tony explained that whenever they expanded the restaurant, they added additional space for the kitchen and they purchased kitchen equipment as needed.
Tony added that Angeli’s receives daily deliveries, for consistency and freshness of all food.
Opening Day May 1, 1996
Tony said they were all nervous about the opening, but it went well.
“Some of the first guests that we had on opening day still come to the restaurant to this very day,” Tony added.
Memorable Experiences
Tony said one of the most memorable events the restaurant has catered was in 2007, that’s when Centennial Beach was drained and Angeli’s catered the party held in the bottom of the quarry to celebrate its 75th anniversary. It was called the Bottom Feeder Ball and it raised funds for some upgrades at The Beach.
“It seemed like everybody we knew was there!” said Tony.
“Another moment that I’ll never forget happened about 15 years ago when Frankie Valli came in to eat at the restaurant after performing at Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College.”
Proud to be Family Owned with Loyal Staff
The restaurant also is family-owned-and-operated, so at least one member of the family is at the restaurant most of the time.
What sets Angeli’s apart from other restaurants is the consistency of kitchen staff and the quality of the food. Three members of Tony’s kitchen staff have been with the company for the past 30 years.
“What makes our staff special is that we all aim to make guests feel welcome when they walk in the door,” Tony said. “We want the guests to feel like family when they come in and we look for that when we hire our staff.”
Tony added that it’s very comforting to know that his family is at the restaurant. Family is at the core to making Angeli’s what it is.
“When you listen to my wife, Trinette, give the description of the specials to our guests, you understand how she’s able to sell them with personality and grace,” Tony said. “We have four kids and five grandchildren. Every one of our children has worked at the restaurant at one point or another.”
Going forward, Tony plans to keep on providing consistent service. “Don’t fix what isn’t broken,” he said.
My takeaway…
Angeli’s not only has a delicious menu and an awesome atmosphere for dinner and special events at the restaurant, but it also caters for weddings. Tony is more than happy to sit down with whomever is planning the wedding to have a food tasting so the guests will know exactly what to expect.
The restaurant has a separate party room that can accommodate large groups. Whether it’s Tony, any member of his family or his staff, one of them will be more than happy to show the room to anyone who would like to look.
Next up, look for Fat Tony’s, a new concept featuring Italian beef, burgers and hotdogs to open in late 2026 in the same plaza as Angeli’s.
Angeli’s is open 4-9PM Tuesday through Thursday, 4-10PM, Friday and Saturday, 4-9PM Sunday, and closed Monday.
Angeli’s is located at 1478 E. Chicago Avenue. The phone number is (630) 420-1370 and email is angeliscatring1478@gmail.com. Find more info at angeliscatering.com.
