Steven Fondu spent his childhood in New York, where his father owned restaurants. Working with his dad in kitchens as a youth, he grew to love the industry, and as soon as he was old enough, he began taking on jobs as a bartender.
Like so many others, Fondu decided to move to Florida during the pandemic. “I knew it was the right time to leave the city,” he says. “My parents bought a place here several years ago, and my grandmother has been a local in the West Palm area for the last 35 years.”
He settled in Jupiter, thriving at Pushkar Marathe’s then-new hit restaurant Stage, where he worked as head bartender and assistant general manager. After a couple of years, however, he felt it was time to branch out on his own—and he found that opportunity when someone purchased the building that used to house Crosby Kitchen & Bar and suggested Fondu open a new restaurant at the site. “Frank Seminara has helped make my dream come true,” says Fondu, referring to the former Major League Baseball player who bought the building in August. The two had met at Stage and became fast friends. Fondu even named the restaurant after Seminara as a nod of appreciation. “Ara is the last three letters of his name,” notes Fondu.