ABOUT US
Cousin Vinny's Restaurant and Bar
Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre
5085 Hwy 69N
705-969-5644
Cousin Vinny’s Restaurant & Bar, which is owned by Chris Vitiello, was originally opened
on December 7, 2010 in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre with a seating capacity of 220 to serve the communities of Valley East and Capreol.
Chelmsford Bonaventure Mall
4764 Regional Rd 15
705-855-0003
Cousin Vinny’s Restaurant & Bar expanded with a second distinct location on May 1, 2017 in the Place Bonaventure Mall in Chelmsford with a seating capacity of 170 to serve the communities of Rayside-Balfour and Onaping Falls.
- a fully equipped stage for live bands;
- a large dining area with a view of the stage;
- a large area with booths for more intimate dining away from the stage;
- a large open sports bar with customer stools;
- a seasonal outside patio area;
- an indoor mall entrance;
- a separate outside entrance;
- Televisions located throughout the facility;
- an area for multiple pool tables;
- Delivery & Pick up service;
- Catering / buffet service both on- and off-site;
OWNER, CHRIS VITIELLO
Chris Vitiello was the first born child of Patricia and Enzo. They moved to Valley East when Chris was six years old. He and his younger brother and sister were raised in the community that he still calls home and where he and his wife, Jennifer are raising their own three children.
After completing elementary school at Immaculate Conception School in Val Caron, he decided to attend St. Charles College in Sudbury, mainly because of the opportunity to play sports at a higher level and to meet other people his age from all around the entire region. He has always enjoyed making new friends and acquaintances, a character trait that has served him well over the years.
After he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree Cum Laude from Laurentian University, his passion for sales helped him achieve national recognition with Leon’s Furniture as one of the top ten salespersons in the entire country for each of the three years he was employed with the company.
It was then that Tylor McNair, a friend he met while at Laurentian approached him with the suggestion that the two of them open up a restaurant at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. While this interested Chris, he wasn’t sure if that was the kind of challenge he was looking for. After all, he was making good money with Leon’s and at the age of 26, getting into the restaurant business was a risky endeavour.
“As we did our research into the venture, everyone kept telling us that there was no way a couple of 26 year olds could operate a successful restaurant,” Chris explained. “I think that made me even more determined to prove them wrong. So when my father gave me his blessing and support, and when the owner of the mall, Val Mazzuca decided to offer the opportunity to Tylor and me, we took on the challenge.”
Chris Vitiello opened the original 'Cousin Vinny’s Restaurant & Bar' at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on December 2, 2009 with his business partner and friend, Tylor. In 2010, they received the Young Entrepreneurs of the Year Award and in 2011 they earned the Bell Business Excellence Top 40 Under 40 Award.
Chris became sole owner of Cousin Vinny’s on January 1, 2015 in order to allow Tylor to pursue other interests. By then, Cousin Vinny’s Restaurant & Bar had become a household name in Valley East and indeed throughout Greater Sudbury as a family restaurant during the day and as one of the leading entertainment venues on weekends. Chris became very involved in the community through the restaurant and provided extensive support to sports and community groups and organizations.
In May 2017, Chris decided to expand the original Cousin Vinny’s by opening a second location in Chelmsford’s Place Bonaventure Mall to serve the communities of Rayside-Balfour and Onaping Falls. He made extensive renovations to the Chelmsford site, thereby creating as close to a mirror image of the Hanmer location as was physically possible. His goal was to establish something that would be seen as an extension of the original site.
Chris was again nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year in May 2018 and was inducted into the Valley East Sports Hall of Fame in June 2018. No matter how successful Chris becomes or what the future may hold, Chris will be forever indebted to his father. “My Dad’s name on his birth certificate is Vincenzo. So I wanted to name the restaurant Cousin Vinny’s in honour of him. It’s a very proud and distinguished name and it will be a constant reminder of how if it wasn’t for his support, and the encouragement of my family and friends, I would not be where I am today.”
Testimonials
