A familiar Cobourg restaurant is beginning a new chapter while celebrating more than two decades of serving families across Northumberland.
East Side Mario’s Cobourg recently reopened following a major renovation that introduces the brand’s newest restaurant design, inspired by the sights, colours and energy of New York City’s San Gennaro Festival, the event that helped inspire the East Side Mario’s concept before the first Canadian location opened in 1987.
The Cobourg restaurant first opened in February 2003 and has been owned and operated by Steve and Christine Smith since December 2006. The recent renovation includes updated décor, new lighting and refreshed dining spaces while maintaining some of the features longtime customers have come to associate with the restaurant.
For the Smiths, however, the restaurant has always been about more than the building itself.
Earlier this year, they invited local residents to submit family photos and memories to become part of a permanent gallery wall celebrating the role East Side Mario’s has played in birthdays, family dinners and special occasions throughout the community.
Christine Smith tells us that community connection remains a central part of the restaurant’s identity.
Over the years, the Smiths have also supported numerous local causes and events.
The couple says that commitment to community has helped build lasting relationships with customers, many of whom have been visiting the restaurant for years.
There is also a local hockey connection behind the restaurant’s ownership team.
Steve Smith grew up in nearby Trenton and went on to a professional hockey career after being drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers organization. Following his playing career, he eventually settled in Northumberland and entered the restaurant business.
After hockey, Smith transitioned into hospitality and eventually took over the Cobourg East Side Mario’s location with Christine in 2006. Today, Steve and Christine continue to lead the Cobourg restaurant alongside General Manager Laurie Hall and their leadership team as they begin the next chapter for a business that has been serving Northumberland families for more than 20 years.
As Steve noted during the interview, community remains at the heart of everything they do.
“If you don’t have the community, you don’t have a restaurant, right? So we look after them and they look after us.”
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
