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New owner keeps tradition at the Narragansett Café
By Sam Bari
 | | John Recca, the new owner of the Narragansett Cafe, stands beside a recently added "4-plays-for-a-buck" juke box. Photo by Sam Bari |
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Super Bowl Sunday kicked off a new beginning at the Narragansett Café. "We didn't have an official re-opening," said John Recca, new owner of the Narragansett Avenue nightclub. "Super Bowl Sunday seemed like a logical day to throw a party and invite everyone to see the improvements and enjoy a free buffet while watching the game."
Recca, a longtime friend of Danny Alexander, who was theowner of the Jamestown landmark for more than twenty years, took over the café in January. "Nothing much has changed," Recca said. "Danny's still here to help out, Lynn Sisson is still the manager, and we kept all of the staff just like it was before. I spend a little more time here, but that's expected," Recca said, smiling.
The Super Bowl party at the "Narry," as the café is known to locals, was nothing short of super. Recca brought in six-foot submarine sandwiches from Providence, flew in original "Buffalo wings" from Buffalo, and served trays of lasagna, as well as macaroni and cheese and hot dogs. Such was the party fare offered at the free buffet enjoyed by a packed house at the Narry on Super Sunday.
"We just wanted people to enjoy themselves, and despite the outcome of the game, I think everyone did just that. We had a nice turnout, and it was a great opportunity to serve some food and show off the new additions," Recca said.
The new additions included a giant flat-screen, high-definition TV, and a four-tunes-for-a-dollar jukebox to replace the Internet jukebox that charged a dollar a tune, Recca said.
"We also put in a wood burning stove for warmth and ambience, and we're rebuilding the kitchen into a full-service facility," Recca said. "We'll feature lunches and early dinners with a pub fare menu. Burgers, sandwiches, chowder and nachos will always be available. If all goes well, the kitchen should be up and running in four to six weeks."
One of the great features that got a dry run on Super Sunday was the "Gansett Gurney," a taxi service that takes patrons to and from the café to anywhere on the island for ten bucks, Recca said. "We're partnering with Phyllis Bedard, owner of Trattoria Simpatico, for the service. It's convenient, and allows people to relax and not have to worry about driving home or parking," Recca added.
The club will continue to have great entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights, and they will be open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and on Sundays from noon to 1 a.m., Recca said.
Originally from Huntington, N.Y., Recca, 48, now lives in Jamestown with his wife Cathy and two children, Julia, 19, and Sam, 17. Julia is attending Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, where she is majoring in art history, and Sam is a high school junior at the Kent School in northwestern Connecticut.
Recca attended Stony Brook University where he majored in business, and then worked in the financial community in New York.
"I'm a little too young to retire," Recca said. "The café is my second career."
If the turnout on Super Bowl Sunday is any indication, the Narragansett Café will be here for a long time to come.
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