Mazzi’s is a mosaic of restaurant history. The warm wood inside the restaurant is decorated with metallic details, and the stone floors are smooth from the shoes of thousands of loyal customers. After 55 years, the restaurant looks loved, but not worn. Owner and founder Frank Ernandes has made sure the restaurant stays hip to the times, with the help of his son and grandson.
Three generations of the Ernandes family work under the Mazzi’s roof. Ernandes’s son, Mazzi, runs Hideaway Bakery behind the Italian restaurant, and his 22-year-old grandson, Oliver, now works as the head chef at Mazzi’s. Ernandes has watched many trends come and go from the Eugene restaurant scene, and has zeroed in on the thing that makes his business successful: his family.
“The food needs to be good, and it has been good, especially now that my grandson is the chef,” Ernandes said. “But the people, the stories, the families who say that Mazzi’s stands out in their lives make us what we are.”
Creating a Legacy
Ernandes started the Mazzi’s legacy in 1970. He came to Eugene to attend the University of Oregon, and after graduation, decided he wanted to open a restaurant. At 22, he took off to Italy to visit family and gather recipes. He remembers his father, a first-generation Italian American, wasn’t particularly happy with his decision to open a restaurant…