Sarducci's Restaurateur to Retire

Dennis Medeiros, a partner in Sarducci’s restaurant in San Juan Capistrano, is retiring March 15, according to a press release.

Sarducci’s debuted 28 years ago as a joint venture between Medeiros and Tom Bogdanski. The pair’s original restaurant was on Camino Capistrano, and at one time they had a second location on the lake in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Bogdanski and Medeiros, an Aliso Viejo resident, met while working for the Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse restaurant chain.

The pair relocated their venture to Capistrano Depot 15 years ago, a historical location that had seen restaurant after restaurant fail. The restaurant's patio, with its bubbling fountain and the rumble of passing trains, quickly became a favorite. In 2004, the Chamber of Commerce named Sarducci’s Capistrano Depot “Business of the Year.”

The restaurant is also home to a murder-mystery dinner in partnership with the Camino Real Playhouse.

“Dennis brought an expertise to Sarducci’s that will be impossible to replace,” Bogdanski said in a press release. “We’ve been through a lot together over the years and have built something we can both be proud of. I wish him the best of luck in his next venture.”