Chef Bruno is retiring after successful run in downtown Springfield; new chef steps up

Ralph Green, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read
Bruno's is located at 416 South Ave., in downtown Springfield.
Bruno's is located at 416 South Ave., in downtown Springfield.

Bruno Gargiulo is hanging up his apron.

The beloved chef and owner of Bruno's Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in downtown Springfield announced earlier this month he is retiring after 40 years in the restaurant business.

Gargiulo, who is from Italy, worked as a chef in Sweden and London before opening his restaurant in Springfield 17 years ago. The restaurant, which specializes in classic Italian dishes, developed a loyal following over the years.

As he reminisced on 17 years of serving the Springfield community, Gargiulo joked that his authentic Italian concept took a little while to catch on.

"The beginning was pretty tough in 2005," Gargiulo said. "Everybody was expecting an Olive Garden menu, but I never gave in and eventually people started appreciating it and stopped asking me for ketchup and ranch dressing."

Gargiulo said he loved running the restaurant in Springfield and he is excited for the next chapter in his life.

Bruno Gargiulo, right, the chef at Bruno's in downtown Springfield, is retiring and leaving the kitchen duties to Taylor Roten.
Bruno Gargiulo, right, the chef at Bruno's in downtown Springfield, is retiring and leaving the kitchen duties to Taylor Roten.

Despite Gargiulo's retirement, Bruno's Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar will remain open in its same location on South Avenue. New chef Taylor Roten said he is up for the challenge.

Roten has been cooking since he was 16 and has spent time working for corporate restaurants, fast food establishments, country clubs and more, as a chef and cook.

As he heads into his 13th year in the restaurant industry, Roten said he wants to continue Gargiulo's legacy and also put his own spin on things.

"The new menu is 50-50 from what Bruno was doing before," Roten said. "It's still 100 percent Italian. We put some super-Italian stuff on the menu and we kept a lot of important items that Bruno had since he first opened."

Bruno's is located at 416 South Ave., in downtown Springfield.
Bruno's is located at 416 South Ave., in downtown Springfield.

Roten told the News-Leader that the name Bruno's Italian Restaurant will stay the same until sometime next year.

Roten said he hopes to run the business in a way that honors what Gargiulo started.

"People keep asking me about the big legacy to carry on, but I don't want to take on his legacy, I want to build on it," Roten said.

Ralph Green is a business reporter with the Springfield News-Leader. Contact him at RAGreen@gannett.com, by phone: (417-536-4061) or on Twitter at RalphGreenNL.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Bruno's chef retiring; the Italian restaurant still open downtown