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ROWLAND — When Al Casuccio and his wife, the former Jeanette Pleasants, moved to Rowland in order to be near their family, operating a restaurant was not in Al’s plans. Jeanette, a registered nurse, became the Director of Nurs ing at the hospital in Bennettsville, S.C. Al worked a make-do job as he sought employment in his profession of public rela tions and marketing. As he supervised the restoration of the home they had pur chased, Al noticed that the pink-colored restaurant across the street was being painted. ‘‘I walked over here and learn ed that the fellow who was reopening the restaurant needed a business manager and a partner. That sounded interesting to me,’’ Al recalls. The restaurant, in need of extensive renovations, became the object of Al’s untiring energy and commitment. On Oct. 18, 1989, the Pink Restaurant, now painted oyster white, opened under a new name, and offered a menu which featured pizza and submarine sandwiches. Even with all of the changes, the people of Rowland were glad to have its doors open again. Folks traveling through the area were glad, too. As local and transient patrons dined, they related to Al fond memo ries of meals they had enjoyed at The Pink Restaurant be fore. ‘‘Many of the travelers had been stopping in for years. Boy, the stories I’ve heard!’’ Al quips. When the chief cook (also Al’s partner) left, Jeanette and Al had a tough decision to make. ‘‘We had a lot invested in this place,’’ Al explains. ‘I was new at the (restaurant) business, but we decided that I should try to make a go of it.”’ The restaurant was again opened and was named, ap propriately, The Pink Restaurant II. Although Al’s response to the question of whether or not his former career had any effect on his running of the restaurant was not surprising, his underlying philosophy defies the layman’s concept of how a public relations/marketing expert would treat such an enterprise: ‘I rely heavily on word of mouth advertising. When I was director of marketing and public relations for the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), we lured to our staffs the very best doctors and specialists. They admitted patients into our hospitals. Their presence convinced people that our hospitals offered the best care.”’ And so, who do you suppose is the chief cook at The Pink Restaurant II? It’s Edna Pate, the veteran chef whose name and culinary expertise have been associated with The Pink Restaurant for as long as most folks can remember. She and her staff, in cluding Gloria Wilson, John Baker and Willie Taylor, provide the talent which Al, a self-professed un-cook, appreciates as much as do those who have rediscovered the pleasures of dining at this particular spot. That Al values the contributions made by each of his employees is obvious: ‘‘Sadie Revels is a_ top-notch waitress,’’ he declares. ‘‘Hazel Jones and Chaleta Jones do a super job in the kitchen. They can cook also. Ronnie Smith, my helper, does a fine job.”’ Now You’re Cookin’ Judith Toole While pizza and subs are still offered along with spaghetti, lasagna, Greek salad, and antipasta, the emphasis has shifted back to the traditional country cooking which put the Pink Restaurant on the map in the first place. Al takes great pride in the consistently high quality of the products used to prepare the restaurant’s offerings. Lean meats, tasty seafoods, homemade coconut cake, egg custard pie, lemon and chocolate pies, as well as other desserts are served to delighted clientele. ‘‘Our vegetables are fresh whenever possible,’’ Al promises, ‘‘but when we must, we use the frozen. They’re good, though. You wouldn’t believe what we do to vegetables!”’ The Pink Restaurant serves lunch every day, and dinner is available from Tuesday through Saturday. On Thursday evening, a country cookin’ special is offered which features the same top quality meal, but offers a choice of entrees not found on the regular menu. Friday is seafood special night, and a platter of fish, shrimp, scallops and crab puffs with the trimmings headlines the bill of fare. Al, an Ohio native, sincerely appreciates the patronage of the local and extended communities. ‘In addition to ‘the regulars,’ folks traveling through on 501 and I-95 stop in. Many of these customers arrive clutching a copy of the In terstate Gourmet which featured the restaurant some time ago. Church groups, the Lions Club, and the Chamber of Commerce hold dinner meetings here. People from Red Spr ings, Maxton, Lumberton and other nearby towns have been very supportive.”’ Obviously, these diners know value when they see it. If the modestly-priced meals encourage repeat business, the memory of friendly, courteous service echoes the invitation, **Y’all come back!”’ The return of The Pink Restaurant is in progress. The name is in place, the menu is becoming more familiar. And Al Casuccio looks forward to covering the whitewashed ex terior with a coat of bright pink paint. Sadie Revels cuts lemons and John Baker butters rolls at the Pink Restaurant
Newspaper Details
Lumberton Robesonian
Lumberton, North Carolina, US
Tue, Sep 04, 1990
Page 41
Full Page
Clipped by
Jack A.
USA 12 Jul 2026
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