Four decades, three generations and several dozen restaurants ago, Joe and Peggy Buonavolanto opened the first Buona restaurant in Berwyn, IL, which specialized in their authentic recipe for Italian Beef Sandwiches. The year was 1981, and the dream location was half a mile from the family’s home. Joe & Peggy made the hard decision to take out a $10,000 second mortgage on the house to start the business. Their dream was to have their kids work side by side to create a business that could someday support their own families. The plan was simple, take a classic Chicago street food and elevate it with fresh ingredients, all-natural beef, a family recipe and a friendly atmosphere that could be enjoyed by all. Their 5 sons, Carlo, John, Joe Jr, Jimmy and Donny immediately took to the business and helped make the family dream come together. The founding sons, Carlo, John, Joe Jr, Jimmy and Don have been involved full-time since they were teenagers, working their way through every possible job in the Buona restaurants. From washing floors, to serving customers, they believe that hard work pays off. Through it all, the brothers have continued to be united in the Buona growth plans and vision. The family legacy doesn’t stop with the founders, Buona is made up of multiple 3rd generation Buonavolanto’s and hard-working dedicated employees who continue to serve Buona customers and surrounding communities. Today, as a result, Buona is the largest family-owned Italian Beef restaurant group and Italian Beef Producer in the country.