Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Buona Companies brought its “dual concept” dining experience to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, this summer with the side-by-side opening of Buona and The Original Rainbow Cone.
Owned by the Buonavolanto family, which opened the first Buona Beef location in Berwyn in 1981, Buona Companies now also include Beyond Catering and Authentic Brands of Chicago in addition to Buona and Original Rainbow Cone.
It all started when Joe and Peggy Buonavolanto took out a $10,000 second mortgage on their 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,” its website states.
Their five sons have worked for the company since they were teenagers, working their way up from washing floors to serving customers and beyond.
“It was always my dad’s dream to be in business with his sons,” Donald Buonavolanto told Fox 32 Chicago (WFLD). “Forty-three years later, not only is he in business with his sons but his 19 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
Buona now has about 30 locations in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Besides its staple beef sandwich, the menu also features burgers, chicken, pasta, pizza and even “meatless beef.”
