Alexia Manning

Back in 1959, our mother, Rita Rossi, decided to open a small, cozy eatery to share our family’s generations-old heirloom recipes. One day, her mother Maria stumbled on a small building in Chelsea, and instantly felt a connection—she came back home and told us that that building would bring us good luck. Run by our mom and dad, Rita and Charlie, Rita’s Place became a beloved local landmark, known for its intimate atmosphere, outstanding service, and mouth-watering nine-course dinners. Rita’s became a coveted Boston dining spot, and built, according to one Boston Globe article, the “best reputation in Boston.” In 1980, a local business leader who had fallen in love with our recipes asked for an extra tall order: he wanted Rita’s to handle all of his new office building’s dining needs, from event catering to their cafeteria services. Since then, our catering operations have grown bigger and bigger. In 2001, we finally outgrew our space in Chelsea and moved down the street to Everett, where we’re even closer to Boston’s best wholesale markets. Today, Rita’s Hospitality Group is one of New England’s largest and most trusted private catering organizations, providing hospitality services to the region’s top businesses, schools, hospitals, and even flight chartering companies—yet, through it all, we’ve never lost what made our first restaurant so special: creating unrivaled meals from family recipes that have stood the test of time.