Rina’s Place ‘humbled and overwhelmed’ since reopening

A local Italian restaurant is making a comeback after a hiatus of nearly a decade.

Rina’s Place at the corner of Dominion and Crescent roads was opened by the Frumusa family in 1999 and closed its doors in 2016.

Another tenant occupied the spot for a brief period while the family still owned the building, but that’s also part of the past.

Kathy Frumusa, the daughter of founders Sam and Rina, decided it was time for another run, reopening on March 1 under the same name, Rina’s Place, and with a menu identical to the first time.

“People are so happy we’re back,” said Kathy, who took over from her parents around 2011 in the first chapter of Rina’s Place.

The phone has been ringing off the hook since the kitchen reopened earlier this month, serving pizza and wings, pastas, and their famous steak and chicken tornadoes.

“I honestly didn’t know we were missed that much,” she joked, adding that her family is “very humbled and overwhelmed by the response” from the community so far.

Shortly after landing in Fort Erie from Sicily, Rina worked at the Ontario Bakery, an iconic local business that is no longer in existence, closed years ago and its building razed to the ground.
She also worked at the Fort Erie Race Track’s Prince of Wales Restaurant.

And then one day, Rina and Sam were out for a drive and they saw a for sale sign in front of what would become their new restaurant, a former convenience store that she says was in rough shape when they ended up buying it.

“We did it from scratch,” she said, adding she’s “very happy to see it open again.”

In the early 2000s, a few years after opening, an expansion and larger dining room was added to the building.

This was to address lineups forming out the door, Rina told Fort Erie Radio in an interview on Sunday, the only day the restaurant is closed through its current hours of operation.

Built on the love found in Rina’s recipes, the 76-year-old said her sauces are what she’s most proud of, and that the restaurant will continue to be a gathering spot for families, including her 14 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Kathy also pointed out that everything is made in house.

“We start here very early in the morning,” she said.

It’s important to keep prices reasonable as well.

“We don’t want to gouge anyone. We’re a family business for families,” said Kathy.

The dining room area can also be reserved for special events and banquets.

Rina’s Place is open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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