This is the Fata family recipe for success: make great food, take care of and appreciate your patrons, and adapt to your customers’ needs. That combo is a keeper: Charlie’s Trio is celebrating 50 years in the San Gabriel Valley with throwback pricing and specials.
Chuck Fata, 63, was 14 when he started working at the family’s small, takeout pizza place called Big Man Pizza in El Sereno, on the border of Alhambra and South Pasadena.
“We had three employees besides my mom, my dad, and myself,” he said. “I started working the counter and making pizzas. My brothers and sisters were too young, or I guarantee you my mom and dad would have put them to work and doubled their workforce.”
The original menu featured pizzas, meatball sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, lasagna, and spaghetti. Fata’s mom’s recipe for marinara sauce, meat sauce, meatballs, and lasagna were early crowd favorites (and still being used today.) The broasted chicken and pizza recipes have stayed the same too.
And four generations of Fatas have always been in the Charlie’s Trio kitchens.
“It’s always been a family affair,” Fata said. “The name ‘Charlie’s Trio’ comes from the first three generations of Charlies – my grandfather Charlie, my dad Chuck the founder, and I round out the trio of Charlies. My two brothers and three sisters all worked in the restaurant over the years. My brother Mike is my partner now. Almost all our children, along with cousins, and a couple aunts have in the past or currently work at Charlie’s. For years my mother-in-law and father-in-law worked at Charlie’s Trio. I doubt there’s a family member that doesn’t know how to fold a pizza box.”
Over its 50 years, the restaurant and the Fata family have overcome recessions, gas shortages, earthquakes, and the low-carb diet craze. Fata himself is a cancer survivor, buoyed by community support throughout his treatment.
“My dad would always say when things were hard that this time would pass and we would be okay,” he said. “I guess with the pandemic that’s truer today then it’s ever been.”
During the pandemic, the original Charlie’s Trio, Charlie’s Trio Café as well as Vino at Trio’s wine lounge in Alhambra evolved and adapted by building an outdoor patio and expanding their takeout area to make it easier and safer for customers to pick up food. An online ordering system was introduced, with orders going directly to the kitchen. The Fatas, who are also partners in 38 Degrees Craft Kitchen and Bar in Alhambra and Monrovia, said the amazing support of their loyal customers hasn’t wavered.
“I guess my definition of success for Charlie’s Trio is its longevity,” Fata said. “That longevity has given us the opportunity to be a positive influence in the community, be a restaurant that generations of families really love, and given us the opportunity to work with incredible employees throughout the years.”
Fata and his brother Mike had a lot of plans for their 50th anniversary.
“It hasn’t been what we’d imagine celebrating 50 years would look like, but we’re so happy and lucky to make it this far, all we can do is keep pushing to stay open so that we have another shot at truly celebrating this milestone with the community, face-to-face.”
For now, all the festivities are on social media. Through next February, customers who post a picture of their Charlie’s Trio meal on Instagram with the hashtag #CharliesTrio50 will have the chance to win a $25 gift card from a monthly drawing.
The restaurant is also offering special family meal deals and coupons, and plan to roll back prices on menu items to their 1971 price.
“We’re proud to have fed San Gabriel Valley and L.A. residents for over 50 years, and are so happy to continue to serve our neighbors through these difficult times,” Fata said.
For more information, check out @charliestrioLA @charliestriocafe on Instagram, or visit www.charliestrio.com or charliestriocafe.com.
Anissa V. Rivera Columnist “Mom’s the Word” Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Whittier Daily News Azusa Herald, Glendora Press and West Covina Highlander San Dimas/La Verne Highlander Southern California News Group 605 E. Huntington Drive, Suite 100, Monrovia CA 91016 (626) 497-4869
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For 5 decades, 4 generations of Fatas craft recipe for success at Charlie’s Trio - The San Gabriel Valley Tribune
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