Another Wallingford Restaurant Receives Boost From Barstool Fund

WALLINGFORD, CT — Another Wallingford restaurant is receiving a boost from Barstool Sports and its founder Dave Portnoy.

Debbie Pacileo, co-owner of Gaetano's Tavern on Main, was notified over the weekend that they have been selected to receive assistance from the Barstool Fund.

Frustrated with the plight of small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, Portnoy recently launched the Barstool Fund to help see them through the crisis. Portnoy, perhaps best known for his popular "One Bite" pizza reviews, said the plan for the fund is to provide businesses with a monthly check for as long as is needed.

The Barstool Fund started with $500,000 and is being bolstered by donations from the public, according to Portnoy. The requirement to be eligible is that businesses must keep their employees on the payroll, the employees still need to be getting paid, Portnoy said.

Laskara Restaurant in Wallingford was also recently picked by Portnoy for the fund.

In her video pitch to Portnoy, Pacileo said they had a “pretty rocky 2020 between business and health-wise.”

“To start off the year of 2020, my sister, who is also my partner, had a stroke which left her partially disabled,” Pacileo said.

When the restaurant had to rely on takeout at the beginning of the pandemic, Pacileo said they had some “really great customers who helped keep us supported.”

“Then my husband had a stroke, which thank God, he had no residual from it, but it was still very stressful trying to manage a business and worry about him,” Pacileo said.

Then, Pacileo said she became ill, and they didn’t know what was wrong with her. After a battery of tests, Pacileo found out she had a ruptured appendix. Then, she broke her foot.

“So, between trying to juggle business, trying to juggle the bills and trying to keep everything afloat, it’s been pretty rocky,” Pacileo said. “Plus, my sister and I haven’t been taking paychecks because we’re just trying to keep everybody in business here, including our employees.”

Gaetano’s, located at 40 North Main St., was particularly hit hard in December when they usually host many Christmas parties but couldn’t have any this year. Pacileo said the Christmas parties usually help them get through the slow months of January and February.

She also shared photos comparing the restaurant’s packed bar area on the night before Thanksgiving in 2019 and the quiet night in 2020.

“Just like every other restaurant right now, we’re all hurting and if you can help us out, that would be great,” Pacileo said. “I mean, things could of course, always be worse health-wise, but we’re lucky that we’re plugging along here.”

Pacileo was surprised to receive the call from Portnoy with the news.

“I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate it,” she told him. “You guys are so great. I can’t even believe you are doing this, this is amazing.”

In a post on Facebook, Pacileo said she’s not one to ask for help, “but everyone kept telling me to apply, so I did and now I honestly can't believe they are going to help us out.”