Jimmy's Grotto opened Aug. 15, 1946. Since then, the restaurant has been a fixture in Waukesha and in the lives of its customers.
'They know what they're going to get when they come in,' explained owner Doug Ciampa, who bought the Grotto five years ago and has kept the menu the same.
And what they are getting are ponza rottas, which are what Jimmy's Grotto is known for. Ciampa said they sell about 3,500 a week of the golden, crescent-shaped packages, sealed and filled with sauce, cheese and pizza toppings. 'They're a little different. They're like a calzone,' he said.
Jimmy's Grotto started selling the ponza in 1977 after former owner Rosie Ruccia, who owned the restaurant with her husband, Jimmy, who lent his name to the eatery, brought a homemade ponza rotta to then-owners Richard Werning and Richard Odowsky.
'They started out kind of slow, now they are our biggest menu item,' said Ciampa, who started at Jimmy's Grotto when he was 17 as a delivery driver, and later became manager and now is the owner.
People come from all around for the ponza rotta. Snowbirds back from Florida, and Waukesha transplants who now live as far away as California and Texas come for a grotto fix when they return to Wisconsin.
'I get phone calls every once in a while from people from other states, saying that they grew up in Waukesha, and they ask if I can ship them ponzas, which we don't do,' he said. But Ciampa said he is considering starting to ship them to meet the demand.
But the ponzas are already well-traveled. Two weeks ago, he had a lady pick up 20 ponza rottas to take to Puerto Rico.
There is an art to the ponza rotta. Ciampa can make five ponzas in one minute, but he's got years of experience. Everything at the Grotto is made to order. That can make for long wait times, but for anyone who has tasted a ponza rotta, they are worth the wait. Ciampa makes the dough himself, along with the sauce. 'So many people have so many memories of this place. I'd almost hate to change it,' said Ciampa of the menu. 'You get the people who come in from out of town who haven't been here in five years; they're going to get the exact same food - the stuff they grew up on. The stuff they love.'
It's also the stuff that got the Grotto thanked in the first album of hometown heroes The BoDeans.
When The BoDeans were first starting out, playing in downtown Waukesha bars, Jimmy's Grotto used to stay open so the boys could get food after their gig. Ciampa said they are given special thanks by the band.
'I still have people calling me about The BoDeans. It's sort of neat. I see Sammy (Llanas) in here once and a while when he's in town. They filmed a Showtime special, I want to say back in 1985, across the street in front of the old store,' he said.
Also, he gets requests for Jimmy's Grotto T-shirts from BoDeans fans to wear to their gigs. 'We ship T-shirts across the country. '
Before the ponza rotta, Jimmy's Grotto was known for its Italian sausage sandwich, which it still serves. When Jimmy's Grotto first opened, it was across the street, at a 300-square-foot stand lovingly referred to as 'The Shack' by its fans.
The old-timers, Ciampa said, have fond memories of the Italian sausage, which Jimmy Ruccia used to make himself.
'I have a lot of people coming in to tell me stories. I had a couple in here last summer. They actually met across the street. They were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and they came here. That was kind of neat,' he said.
Ciampa said one of the things he likes about owning the Grotto is meeting the customers and hearing their stories.The no-frills Grotto attracts a wide customer base, as well. 'That's probably some of the appeal of the restaurant. You can come in here on a Friday. You'll see construction workers. You'll see lawyers. You'll see three-piece suits. You'll see guys who have just come off a construction job - stuff like that.'
Ciampa said he plans on making no menu changes, but he hopes that he can put his own stamp on the Grotto while it's under his leadership. He said he's considering starting a second location - either by himself or as a franchise.
For now, Jimmy's Grotto will continue serving ponza rottas and Italian sausages, as well as weaving itself into the history of Waukesha and the stories of its customers.