NORWICH – Traffic is known to be heavy at times on state Route 12 in the Town of Norwich, approximately one quarter of a mile south of the Price Chopper and South Side Plaza intersection. The hustle and bustle of cars and trucks at lunchtime is unmistakable, and it’s partly what led to the decision of restaurant owner Angelo Oliveri to open his road-side business, Angelo’s Lunch Box, two years ago.
I ventured to Angelo’s Lunch Box on a busy Friday afternoon, where Oliveri showed me the ropes of being a short order cook in a fast-paced kitchen for this latest installment of Punching the Clock. Along with the traditional hamburgers and deep-fried hot dogs so often associated with the long summer months, Oliveri also serves up a variety of wraps, seafood, salads, subs and side dishes.
“What we’re most widely known for is the portion sizes,” said Oliveri, noting that a full order of french fries tips the scales at close to two pounds and wraps are often overstuffed. The restaurant also serves a signature Philly Cheese Steak using in-house roast beef in place of frozen commercial product, and maintains prices that compete with any local eatery.
And if all that isn’t enough to serve the larger appetite, there’s always a few in-house baked treats to top it off. “We joke by saying if you leave hungry, we are doing something wrong,” he laughed.
“We have a good following of people here who keep coming back,” added Oliveri. Angelo’s Lunch Box is a two-man show, with Oliveri at the helm and additional help from Jennifer Flynn, who has been an extra set of helping hands at the restaurant since its opening in 2011.
Angelo’s Lunch Box isn’t the customary sit-and-eat establishment. In fact, without a good reputation and marketing via word of mouth, his business might be mistaken as an empty trailer nestled alongside a busy highway. But Oliveri’s custom built trailer is truely a “kitchen on wheels,” he pointed out, with all the equipment of a traditional commercial kitchen, including three deep fryers, a flat-top grill, char broiler, and a full size oven for baking.
But such limited space does not equal limited service. Oliveri and Flynn work together like a well oiled machine and have the art of “I’ll zig while you zag” down to a precise science.
“Virtually 90 percent of what we make here is homemade in a fully stocked restaurant,” he said, citing about 80 items on the menu that are made to order. “It might get cramped in here at times, but we’re still able to get a lot of food out as fast as possible.”
Joining the team at Angelo’s Lunch Box shortly before the lunchtime rush, I was put to work helping out where I could (which amounted to adding ketchup and cheese to hot dogs - the most I could do without taking an accidental elbow to the face). Lunch orders can begin as early as the restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m., Flynn explained to me as she added the lettuce and tomato to a chicken tender wrap for a customer who was waiting at the service window.
“We can get pretty busy at times, with orders backed up and a line of people outside waiting,” Flynn said. “But with only two of us, people are usually understanding when it gets really busy.”
On average, Angelo’s Lunch Box sees between 30 and 40 people every day. Even as a seasonal eatery, the menu is regularly tweaked to better suit appetites, said Oliveri, which keeps customers returning. “So far, it’s worked pretty well.”
Angelo’s Lunch Box served up more than 20 customers in my brief stint behind the window. With at least two more months of business ahead of him, Oliveri said he’s ready to take on plenty more.
Angelo’s Lunch Box opens at 10:30 a.m., Monday though Friday. For more information or to place an order, call 607-206-3789.