SEVEN YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE FRONTMAN OF THIS LOCAL RESTAURANT GROUP PLEDGED A $250,000 GIFT TO STATEN ISLAND UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN THE CRUSADE AGAINST CANCER, AND AFTER FAR SURPASSING ITS GOAL, BREAD & BUTTER HOSPITALITY IS DOUBLING DOWN ON ITS ORIGINAL PLEDGE
BY AMANDA McCOY • PHOTOS BY AMESSE PHOTOGRAPHY
It was 2017, and the contemporary American + Italian restaurant Violette’s had just opened its doors along the buzzing Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island. The name Violette is an ode to Chef/Founder Peter Botros’ mother, who tragically passed away from breast cancer in 2000. With the restaurant’s launch, Botros and his partners Phil Farinacci and Marc Zurlo with Bread & Butter Hospitality wanted to do far more than honor Violette in name only; they were galvanized to have a hand in helping their home borough fight the pervasive disease (Staten Island has the highest cancer rate of all five New York City boroughs, per data from the New York State Cancer Registry). Though they were certain of the cause they wanted to support, they hadn’t yet chosen which organization to partner with. After their first meeting with Staten Island University Hospital, they knew they had found their match. “SIUH was in the early planning stages for a new comprehensive cancer center,” recalled Botros, referencing the facility that would eventually become the Florina Cancer Center, a state-of-the-art, 40,000-square-feet adult and pediatric cancer center that opened in October 2023.
“During the meeting, we learned about the plans for the center, the way it would improve cancer care on Staten Island and attract some of the best doctors in the world. We all left the meeting with our decision already made.”
At the time, the largest pledge to the cancer center was $100,000. The Bread & Butter team had even bigger ambitions: they made a $250,000 pledge over the course of seven years. The subsequent years would yield a sea of triumphs and tribulations, forcing the owners to adapt to unforeseen obstacles like pandemic-era shutdowns and restrictions. While many restaurants were tightening purse strings in the aftermath of COVID, Botros and his partners hit their quarter-million-dollar mark – a full three years before their 2024 target.
To commemorate the achievement, Botros and gang upped the ante, pledging another $250,000 in June 2023 for a grand total of $500,000.
“We wanted to expand the initiative beyond Violette’s to encompass the entire Bread & Butter family of restaurants,” noted Botros, whose rapidly expanding restaurant group operates several establishments throughout Staten Island, New Jersey, and the greater New York area. The list includes The Stone House at Clove Lakes, Chef ’s Loft at The Stone House, Violette’s, Sofia’s Taqueria, Sofia’s Guac Bar, Sally’s Southern & BBQ, Rustic Pizza & Pasteria, and the newly opened Blue Pearl on the North Shore, with more in the pipeline.
“When Violette’s opened, my mom had been gone for 17 years,” noted Botros. “My partners, Mark and Phil, still had their mothers. But in the years since, both lost their moms, and Mark also lost his father, all to cancer. [Sally’s Southern & BBQ is named after Phil’s mother.] When we opened Violette’s, especially given its name, we wanted to do something meaningful and make an impact, but over time we started doing more events for the hospital outside of Violette’s. So for our second pledge, we wanted to include our entire family of restaurants.”
To raise funds, the Bread & Butter team regularly hosts a variety of fundraising events at their different locales, and many have already become Staten Island staples. Meatballs and Mixology, for instance, is a cooking competition for home chefs, drawing contestants from across the borough to compete for the ultimate bragging right: Staten Island’s Best Meatballs. Its fifth installment will kick off at Violette’s Cellar on February 6. “Every person on Staten Island thinks their mother or grandmother makes the best meatballs,” laughed Botros. “We always get a great turnout and raise a ton of money for the hospital.”
On March 13, the newest Bread & Butter concept, Blue Pearl, will host its first fundraising extravaganza, Mermaid Marquee. The upscale, sea-themed cocktail soirée will fit the modern Asian-focused restaurant’s swanky milieu, featuring champagne, caviar hors d’oeuvres, music, and a gourmet buffet. Mermaid-inspired attire is, of course, encouraged but not required.
Another locals’ favorite is Cocktails for Cancer, an annual cocktail competition at Violette’s that invites mixologists and bartenders to showcase their talents while competing for the top honor. The tournament is hosted Chopped style with a featured ingredient. “Last year, each contestant had to incorporate coffee or tea into their drink,”
added Botros. While SIUH is Botros’ largest philantropic partner, Bread & Butter restaurants host a medley of events in support of additional local charities throughout the year, from The Big Cheese (an all things cheese festival) at The Stone House to benefit Catholic Charities of Staten Island, to a Beer & Bubbly Oyster Festival in support of The Grace Foundation.
“We work with around 50 different local charitable organizations, and host events across all our restaurants,” said Botros. “We’ll also open up our spaces for organizations to conduct their own fundraisers – anything we can do to help make an impact here in Staten Island. Taking part in giving back and dreaming up exciting events, from competitions to cocktail parties, energizes every single person on the Bread & Butter team.”
Bread & Butter Hospitality