When she was just 14 years old, Danielle Mercuri began working in the restaurant industry. And after working a desk job for a few years, she realized she was not made to sit at a desk. When she found herself unemployed with three children to raise, Mercuri decided to waitress at Rise N Shine.

Now, eight years later, she owns the popular brunch spot, as well as Loded, an unorthodox burger shop. She’s also partnering with local entrepreneur Adam Weitsman to create an Italian restaurant located in Carrier Circle to open in the fall.

The menu will be just as unique as her other two restaurants, only with a classic, old-school Italian taste, she said. The ambience inside will make eating at the restaurant a full experience, she said.

“It’s super high end,” Mercuri said, “and it’s going to be a place you’ve never seen here in Syracuse.”

She recruited Filippo Di Paola, a native of Northern Italy who’s lived in the U.S. for seven years, as the chef for the new restaurant. The taste and flavors will be authentic to Di Paola’s homeland, but it will be plated “our way,” Mercuri said, which means more quirky, unexpected combinations in the dishes.

In her four years of waitressing at Rise N Shine, Mercuri became especially close to Peter Henessey, the owner at the time. And they learned from each other — he taught her how to cook in a standard kitchen, while she taught him marketing tactics to improve business, she said.

Some time afterwards, Henessey was diagnosed with leukemia. While he was in the hospital, he asked Mercuri to take over the restaurant. Though she renovated the building and changed the menu, she wanted to keep a part of Pete present in the business.

“His home fries are literally the same home fries as now,” she said. “I’ve never changed the recipe.”

In other ways, Mercuri crafted the small diner into her own. From traditional eggs and pancakes to extravagant milkshakes and flavored pancake flights, she transformed the quaint breakfast spot, originally located on Thompson Road in DeWitt, into a packed restaurant with long lines waiting for tables.

With sales consistently increasing 30% a year on average, the restaurant’s small building couldn’t accommodate the demand, according to Mercuri. She decided to move Rise N Shine to Westcott Street with a modern redesign.

But Mercuri kept the old Rise N Shine building. Last year, she renovated it into Loded. She built the ‘90s themed burger joint to create revenue and jobs during the pandemic, and it took off.

A second Loded location is already underway, although Mercuri won’t disclose the information on when or where just yet. In addition to her in-the-works Italian restaurant, she wants to open more Rise N Shine locations throughout the East Coast, and possibly even franchise Loded within the next few years.

Her two current restaurants are specifically known for their weird mashups, including bulgogi toppings on hot dogs, garbage plate fixings on burgers, a benny of pork belly and frizzled onions piled on poached eggs and English muffins. And the culinary creativity even extends to the sauces — Rise N Shine dips their waffle fries in Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal butter.

Al Ferenti, the district general manager of both restaurants, will be focusing on the new Italian restaurant after the opening. Mercuri’s hands-on approach shows great promise for expansion, said Ferenti, who is now one of almost 100 workers.

“I know this company is going to grow. I know it’s going to grow quick, (and) I know it’s going to grow big,” said Ferenti.

Mercuri took the restaurant business by storm with her exotic dishes and entrepreneurial mindset, and gained the admiration of her staff in the process. But as a woman, she said, she didn’t always have that kind of support.

“It’s tough being a woman in the industry, having men underneath you and how they feel about working for a woman,” Mercuri said. “I’ve had quite a few that couldn’t handle me being their boss.”

Aside from the new chef and the Italian cuisine, Mercuri won’t give away too much about the unopened restaurant, including the name. But expect to hear more about her latest restaurant endeavor in the next few months, she said.

“Three is just the start,” said Ferenti.

Published on September 4, 2022 at 7:13 pm