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by Terry Duffy
With its North Sixth Street firehall renovations complete, Lewiston No. 1 Volunteer Fire Co. wants to get the word out that among the many improvements is a newly furbished banquet hall, complete with a choice of two top-notch caterers, that's available for use in the community.
"Lewiston Fire Co. No. 1 has recently signed contracts with two preferred caterer companies for our redesigned upstairs social hall," said Matthew Grainge, Lewiston No. 1 vice president. "The hall is now open for rentals and the catering companies are ready to go.
"New hall, new tables, new chairs, new caterers, new business!" he adds.
Located on the second floor of the firehall complex, the remodeled social hall includes a full service kitchen and bar. Also found are new furnishings - chairs, rectangle and round tables - and a variety of seating arrangements are available.
Grainge reports the two new providers - Scipione Catering and JCI Catering - both with roots in the Niagara Falls area, will be operating the new facility. The two are ranked among the best in Western New York. And both have capability of serving a variety of functions, from weddings to baby showers, birthday parties to all types of group gatherings.
Scipione Catering traces its origins to 1968, when brothers Richard and Larry Scipione decided to acquire Fratello's meat market near the corner of Hyde Park Boulevard and Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls. And the Scipione family soon established a reputation of serving up some of the finest foods in the Cataract City.
The catering side of the business started small, but has since grown and eclipsed the meat market. Scipione Brothers Meat Market became Scipione Catering in 1999 under the direction of David Scipione, and the family's tradition of great food and outstanding service has never changed.
From 2003 to the past year, Scipione Catering provided catering services to the Beaver Island Clubhouse on Grand Island under a contract with New York Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Under the direction of David, the caterers have provided more than 900 weddings and other events at Beaver Island - all with five-star reviews.
Contact David at Scipione Catering at 716-998-6882 or online at www.scipionecatering.com.
JCI Catering, under the direction of James, Christian and Ian Caccamise, bring a family history of more than 150 years in the food service industry and a combined 75 years of experience among the three chefs, who also bring culinary and hospitality degrees. The three are Western New York natives who have traveled and worked throughout the country, and bring impressive work backgrounds locally. "We are WNY born and raised but have traveled and worked across the country ... honing our skills to (not) only bring you 'hometown favorites,' but new and exciting flavors throughout from around the country and world," the brothers commented in the JCI mission statement.
For more on JCI Catering, contact James Caccamise at 716-523-3093 or via email at [email protected].
"I am very excited for the fire company's partnership with both of the excellent caterers - Scipione Catering and JCI Catering," said Grainge. "With these industry leading companies on board in conjunction with our completely remodeled and newly furnished banquet hall, I have no doubt that Lewiston No. 1 will become a preferred venue for various events in the Lewiston area. Our hall and full service bar is a great choice for weddings, showers, parties, professional meetings/conferences and various other events.
"Reservations have been coming in steadily since the remodel, and that has just been word of mouth," Grainge adds. "For the residents who have been in our new social hall for various functions, they can't stop telling others how nice it is."
He invites you to stop by, check out the facility and find out for yourself. Rental fees are reasonable and range from $300 for a profit organization function to $150 rental for a nonprofit, plus a $75 fee to reserve a date. Catering and beverage packages are available through the two catering companies.
"Anyone interested in looking at the hall or reserving a date, I would urge them to visit our website,www.lfd1.com, under the Hall Rental Tab, and fill out the quick rental application," said Grainge.