Our Story
From humble beginnings...
Luigi and Connie Rea (pronounced “RAY”) along with their daughter, Joanna, emigrated from Italy and settled in Crafton, Pennsylvania in the early 1970s. They soon had two more children, Maria and Gino and to provide for his family, Luigi became a self-employed concrete contractor. In 1991, Luigi and Connie had an idea of owning and operating a small restaurant. After a brief search, an ad in the local Pennysaver caught their attention. The ad was for a small diner in Coraopolis called “Break & Enjoy,” previously known as “Billy’s Terrace” and also “Fusco’s.”
On April 4, 1991, Rea’s Restaurant first opened its doors for business. Initially, business at Rea’s was slow, despite being opened seven days a week. But with hard work and perseverance, along with outstanding customer loyalty, business grew steadily each year. After Luigi passed away in 1997, Connie and Joanna were the only two family members working at the restaurant full time. Therefore, they made the decision to close Mondays.
...to where we are today.
Today, Connie is still the owner and she can usually be found in the kitchen making homemade soups, meatballs, meatloaf, and spaghetti sauce. Joanna is usually serving customers, while trying to manage all other restaurant operations. Her two children, Mark and Sara, grew up at the restaurant and now can be found working there almost every weekend and summer. Maria is now a Certified Public Accountant and the mother of three beautiful children. Gino followed in Luigi’s footsteps and is now in the construction business himself.
For over twenty-six years of great and memorable business, the Rea Family would like to express their immense gratitude to their wonderful customers and valuable employees. Rea’s looks forward to serving all of its patrons, new and existing, for many years to come.
Customer Testimonials
