Lombardo’s Hospitality Group has found rare success as a family-run business that’s made it into its fourth generation. The latest generation is making some major changes to keep it going.
Lombardo’s is closing its landmark venue in Randolph at the end of January, but isn’t shrinking or sitting still. The group is buying Off the Vine Catering two towns over in Norwood in what CEO David Lombardo said is an effort to strike the right balance as the hospitality industry continues to be reshaped by the pandemic.
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“It’s been a bittersweet ending to an iconic staple in the industry,” Lombardo said.
Off the Vine will retain its name but will be branded as part of Lombardo’s Hospitality Group.
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The two entities turn out to have had more of a shared history than either side knew. Darren Maggio, a co-owner of Off the Vine with Holly James, was a chef for Lombardo’s when it had an East Boston location, Lombardo said. Maggio was even the lead chef at Lombardo’s bar mitzvah, he said.
“There was a connection we didn’t realize at the time,” Lombardo said.
Lombardo’s Hospitality Group has shifted in a few other ways in recent years. It launched Bardo’s Bar Pizza, with locations in Norwood and South Boston, partly as a way to get its employees back to work at a time when the pandemic halted most functions.
