Bar 101 celebrates 5th anniversary

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If Bar 101 was a course in hospitality, Pete Matteo would have scored all A’s.

As it is, Matteo has been in the food and beverage business since 2009, the year he opened Bar 101 at 1478 Atwood Ave.

During that time, Bar 101 has become one of the area’s most popular watering holes by way of Matteo’s philosophy and long-standing theme: “Keepin’ it simple.”

Matteo, who is one of the state’s most popular restaurateurs, said the key to any business’ success – especially when in a drinking and eating establishment – is pleasing people’s palates and pocketbooks.

There’s also another reason why Bar 101 has been successful ever since the doors opened five years ago.

“I have some of the most loyal customers around,” Matteo said while accepting well wishes at Bar 101’s fifth anniversary celebration. “The town has been unbelievable to us. Tonight belongs to all our many regulars and staff.”

Matteo, who has also become well-known for his outstanding charity works like generating countless gifts for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, emphasized: “We wouldn’t be here without our great customers and we couldn’t do all this without a great staff.”

Just last week, in fact, Matteo received high praise about what he calls his “super staff” from people who either wrote in on a restaurant rating website or sent along cards of congratulations on Bar 101’s fifth anniversary.

“Great local bar,” assessed a younger couple from Providence. “Bartenders Pete and Genna are great ... very friendly, and the food is excellent. They really put out great bar food. It’s definitely a great place for after-work drinks or even on a weekend. And those 25 cent wings on Wednesday are unbeatable, but so are the $1 burgers on Monday.”

Peter and Genna Mollo are just two examples of what Matteo means when he talks about his super and dedicated staff.

“They’ve been here from the start,” Matteo said of the Mollos. “Back then they were single. Now they’re married and part of our fantastic family.”

Bar 101, people will tell you, is a popular meeting place with a U-shaped bar, tables and chairs that also equipped with six wall televisions, one being a 100-inch screen on which people watch a myriad of sporting events as well as the NFL Sunday Ticket.

Beginning with “Burger Night for a Dollar” on Mondays and continuing through “A Happier Happy Hour” on Fridays with live entertainment from 5 to 7 p.m., there’s are theme nights that offer patrons specially priced food and drinks.

Come Saturday night, Nov. 1, Bar 101 will have a unique Halloween Bash, replete with a costume contest, cash prizes, giveaways and, as Matteo mentioned amid more well-wishes for his fifth anniversary celebration, “food from our new menu.”

“Overall, I would rate this as a good place to grab a beer, burger or quick bite to eat,” one woman wrote in an unsolicited review. “And the staff is every so friendly.”

And it’s been that way at Bar 101 since 2009, all because Pete Matteo believes in “keepin’ it simple” and giving each and every customer the best bang for their buck.

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