John Siple started his 45-year career in the restaurant business at 15 years old as a dishwasher in his Colorado hometown. As Managing Partner of Carrabba’s Italian Grill in The Villages for the past 10 years, John truly enjoys serving the local community.
The two things John likes best about his role are taking care of his people and community, so his favorite part of the job is spending time with guests. From the start of his day, he makes sure everyone is prepared for their shift so he can take care of guests in the dining room. “If the guests are happy, I’m happy,” he says.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill is passionate about taking care of their people. The passion comes from the genuine hospitality they have in their hearts. Originally started by Italian immigrants, John emphasizes that “Carrabba’s isn’t your typical Italian chain restaurant. We use recipes passed down from our founders and their family so we can share authentic made-from-scratch Italian dishes and atmosphere.”
At Carrabba’s Italian Grill in The Villages, John believes the key to success is building relationships with those in the community. “People around here love to go out to eat,” he notes. Most of the Carrabbamicos (servers) have worked at the restaurant for over 10 years and personally know their regular guests, some even come in every day. John exclaims, “Even the bartender has her own following!”
Each guest has their favorite dishes, and while traditional dishes such as Lasagne layered with fresh, pomodoro and meat sauce, ricotta, romano and mozzarella cheese are crowd-pleasers, the most popular item on the Carrabba’s Italian Grill menu is the Chicken Bryan, wood-grilled chicken topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and a signature lemon butter sauce. They also enjoy all of the grilled items, which are among John’s own top choices, which include Tuscan-Grilled Sirloin, Ribeye, Salmon and Pork Chops. Carrabba’s Italian Grill is the only restaurant in The Villages that offers veal dishes, so Veal Marsala and Veal Piccata are also quite popular.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill is involved with many of The Village’s community organizations from sponsoring the Leesburg High School Baseball team and hosting Ohio snowbirds from the Buckeye Group, to monthly blood drives and bringing hot meals to local first responders. John says, “We love being an active member within our community.”
John offers his own personal message to his neighbors in The Villages: “If you haven’t been to Carrabba’s Italian Grill before, we’re looking forward to meeting you and if you have been here before, we’re looking forward to seeing you again soon!”
Carrabba’s Italian Grill is located at 650 US Hwy 441 N. Hours of operation are Sunday-Monday from 11am-9pm and Friday-Saturday from 11am-10pm. Visit www.carrabbas.com to view the full menu, specials and more.