Blog

“I don’t know how much more she can take, Captain! I’m giving it everything she’s got!”
We have been — experiencing ——— difficulty —— with —— com - mun - ications — here. With time — things —— are —— improving.
It has been a lesson hard learned here at Geppetto’s to NOT simply unplug something which appears to be doing nothing. Time and experience have taught us, most likely, it is doing something. Further, one doesn’t know what has been broken or disabled until it doesn’t work! Forty-five years of operations, advancements in technology and every good idea can make for a complicated mess sometimes.
A couple of years ago I unplugged what looked like an old lamp chord which came out of the wall in the office next to my desk. As far as I could tell it went into the wall and never came out. A few days later, early in the morning, there was sudden loud banging on the alley door. At first I was frightened and then annoyed when I realized it was our dairy delivery driver. Then it hit me…. the delivery buzzer! Sure enough… the old lamp chord supplied the power to the delivery buzzer in the alley. The poor driver was just trying to be heard. I went from frightened to annoyed to apologetic in a matter of seconds. The old buzzer died all together a couple of weeks later when repairs were made to the old security system. You can bet your boots though I’ve still got the old lamp chord plugged in… just in case.
Technology is such a joy! (Deep breath and exhale.) It is with a grateful heart that I report we have been experiencing higher than normal call volume lately. While exciting, this has brought to light issues with our dated phone system. It’s supposed to work like this… when Line One is busy it rolls over to Line Two. When both lines are tied up the call goes to voicemail. Confused by the fact that customers were saying they reached a fax machine… I called Comcast. Turns out Geppetto’s has a mysterious third phone line. It has been part of Geppetto’s “package” as far back as they could see. They had no explanation for the fax tone since we don't have a fax machine. Checking first... I made sure the third line wasn’t being used by our security company for our alarm system. Once confirmed, the mysterious third line was removed. Saving $39.99/month and we are now looking into more efficient, less expensive options all together.
Meanwhile… we are truly sorry if you have had difficulty getting through. Know that we are forever learning, uncovering Geppetto’s rich past and seeking to improve as we advance into the future. As for Line Three… please keep your eyes and ears open for anything which upsets the balance of the universe. If I need to call Comcast back and reinstate… I will.
P.S. We are open for Dine-in. Reservations are not required but are recommended. Takeout & Delivery are also available. 503.378.1271. Be well!

Thank you to Pioneer Trust Bank, for ordering up about forty-four Geppetto’s lunches for their staff last Friday. Three waves of yummy goodness delivered to both their Commercial and Oak Street branches. We so appreciate the support. They also printed some pretty awesome coasters for the restaurant and bar… which we are able to use now that we are open for Dine-in! Pioneer Trust provides professional, personal service. They truly care about all aspects of each business they serve. They saw to it we were in line early for the PPP Loan which we were successful in receiving. I’ve heard some real horror stories about other small businesses dealing with big banks. There is nothing like a pandemic to make you realize you are well cared for by your friendly, local, financial institution. Thank you, Pioneer Trust for looking out for us!
Pioneer Trust Bank
Salem Area Chamber of Commerce GREETERS
Salem Area Chamber of Commerce
https://www.pioneertrustbank.com/

Well, it's true. Geppetto's is open for Phase One dine-in!
We spent the last few weeks visiting other restaurant starships in the area. We watched. We listened and we learned much. Thank you, most especially to; Calvin & Nancy Eng of Top Dog, Tylee & Jeff Chipman of Subway, Melissa at Masonry Grill, John & Debbie McGrath of McGrath’s, Jodi & Monty Baker of Sparky’s and Bradley, who manages Pietro’s and loves our deep dish! You went first and we have greatly benefited from your wisdom and courage. Thank you!
A few things to note… We have moved furniture, donned masks, acquired disinfectants and adopted processes and procedures to keep ourselves and our customers safe. It feels good to be open again. Although limited, it was time. Our soft open yesterday was lightly attended but rich in joy. We will continue to learn and make necessary changes as we move through the phases of this strange time. How well we know things might be different tomorrow.
Those of you who are familiar with Geppetto’s will notice we have gone from five different menus to one… all day. All food items are still available they can now simply be found in one place. It’s much less complicated. The old way felt like a Vulcan mind meld gone very bad. We believe simplicity with regard to our menu is paramount at this time.
Our Mina’s Thai Pizzas are still rolling out and DEEELICIOUS! Takeout and deliveries continue. Four of our five Lottery machines are ready for play! (Inside tip… it’s the ATM which pays out every time! As long as you have money in the bank… you win!). Seating available for groups of 1-10. Reservations are not required but are recommended. Call... 503.378.1271. Can't wait to see you!
Thanks again to the Salem community. This is a great place to work and live! @ Salem Area Chamber of Commerce GREETERS

Three years ago to this date we began our restauranteurial quest. Survived the algae crisis of 2018, every repair imaginable, a fire closure in Spring 2019, the pandemic of 2020 and now rioting in the streets and curfews... and all this... while owning a restaurant. The fact that Roger and I have not killed each other or run away crying is truly a miracle. Well, I might have run away crying for a few days in 2019... but that was for the good of everyone. When I think of words to say... expletives abound. Unbelievable! Just saying, we could not have made it without the love and support of incredible friends and family and the close knit community which is Salem. To everyone, we say, Thank You! And... wherever you are... hang in there. We’re gonna make it through this too. Blessings, love and peace to all!

Geppetto's Italian Restaurant (ship) is not open yet for dine-in. We are still bustin’ out the take out and delivery! We’re also busy working on Phase One protocols. Wading into the water on this one, slow and steady. We want to get it right for our customers and our staff. If I’m gonna be honest… what I really want is to wake up tomorrow morning and find this whole situation behind us, masks and all! God give us strength… and grace. And maybe, Dear Lord, could you turn the heat down just a little!
Visit geppettossalem.com. Call 503.378.1271.
Speaking of HOT!
Special this weekend through May 31st!
$3 off when you order any of Mina’s Thai Pizzas!
Three choices - Three sizes - Three Prices
Regular price -
Small - $24.95 - Medium $28.95 - Large - $32.95
Now through Sunday -
Small - 21.95 - Medium $25.95 - Large - $29.95!
Mina’s Thai Curry Pizza
Mina’s Yellow Curry Sauce, Tuscan Chicken, Geppetto’s Link Sausage, Garlic & Olive Oil, Onion, Fresh Mushroom, Black Olives, Spinach, Basil, Pineapple& Mozzarella
Mina’s Spicy Onion Thai Pizza
Mina’s Spicy Onion Sauce, Tuscan Chicken, Geppetto’s Link Sausage, Garlic & Olive Oil, Onion, Fresh Mushroom, Black Olives, Spinach, Basil & Mozzarella (This one HOT is really HOT. Please specify HOT, MEDIUM or MILD)
Mina’s Special Thai Peanut Sauce Pizza
Mina’s Thai Peanut Sauce, Tuscan Chicken, Fresh Cut Carrot, Broccoli & Mozzarella

It’s Day One - Phase One for Marion County!
Our thoughts and prayers are with those bold enough to open first. We are holding back a bit. Dine-In, Bar and Lottery will come… just not right now. We don’t feel prepared to meet and uphold guidelines. We know all eyes are watching and the last thing we want to do is get it wrong.
So… hang in there. Dining and sharing time together inside Geppetto’s is coming. Just. Not. Yet. We want you back. We can’t wait to see your smiling faces. One day at a time… for now.
Take-out and Delivery are still available seven days a week, 11:00am-9ish pm, 503.378.1271.
Patience is a virtue. This is hard but necessary.
More soon!

Geppetto’s Log, Stardate 051920.1
What a day! Sifted through a mountain of information. Gathered intel from colleagues and realized nobody really, truly, knows exactly how to act in Phase One. Should we open... I promise you... we will
do our absolute best.
We moved some serious furniture today and a vision began to form. Gathering intel... wondering... do you want to dine in at Geppetto’s and to see us all in masks or shall we wait and see what Phase Two might bring?
Not asking just for me... but all.
Best part of the day... finally taking time to stop and eat. Roger and I worked tirelessly today. About 3:30pm we headed for two bank stops, dropped our ballots and set out on foot in search of food.
We landed at Masonry Grill. Bailey... greeted us with sweet, smiling eyes. Roger ordered the Soy Ginger Wrap and I the Philly Steak Sandwich. OMG... Rogers wrap was delish, served with tots! My Philly... only one way to say it... that is straight up... Strogie on a Hoagie! mushrooms, onion and cream cheese, AMAZING!
We parked under the bridge at Riverfront. It was officially a date. We weren’t at Geppetto’s, but for the first time since... we don’t know when... we were together and alone. And technically, dining out.
Thank you to Masonry Grill for providing such fabulous food! We strongly recommend!
After... we pulled in to the Smith and Steel shop for a great visit and an update on our bar lottery ATM sign. Two awesome bearded men with more to offer than genius.

The world keeps spinning and time passes through the hour glass. April passed like molasses in January. May, it seems, is gonna go by fast. Mother’s Day is upon us!
At my request, which was more like begging, Chef Alonzo pulled off a batch of our house made Mother’s Day tradition, Creme Brûlée. With this... we created a bit of a monster in that, each serving has been baked in our ceramic dishes used for dine-in.
“Why not?!” I said. “What is Geppetto’s on Mother’s Day without our house made Creme Brûlée?!”
So... here’s the deal... we are offering these dishes of deliciousness for takeout and delivery $6.95… and we are trusting that our dishes will be returned.
Trusting, yes, however there will be a $5.00 deposit added for each dish. When you come back with our dish… your $5.00 will be returned. Should you choose not to return the dish... you will be out the $5.00 and in a “shipload” of trouble! Not really... but you will be out $5.00.
Call early to order. Available now! Supply is limited. We recommend ordering earlier in the day for dinner takeout and delivery. If you call between 11:00am and 4:00pm you’ll have a better chance of getting through on the phone. 503.378.1271
We remain open, seven days a week from 11:00am-9:00pm. Thank you for understanding that our closing hour varies based on volume. If the phone stops ringing for more than an hour we are closed. http://www.geppettossalem.com/new---family-bundle-pastabilities.html
Happy Mother’s Day to all! Especially my mom... who quarantined herself two weeks before anybody else did. She is an awesome woman who taught me some of life's most valuable lessons. One being... "If you find your life too much to bear... volunteer."
Judy Lindal

"Can’nae take anymore Captain! I’m giving’ her all she’s got!"
One of the great challenges in a well established (old) restaurant is operating with “mature” equipment. Since Roger and I came onboard three years ago, it seems we have repaired or replaced just about everything, some things more than once.
The beauty of being in the building, pretty much all of the time, is you get a feel for what things are supposed to sound like. When the old refer is headed for a fall… you can tell. My ears are tuned to that extra whine, that shorter than usual gap between cooling and defrost.
Frequent temperature checks this last week revealed, “We have a problem!”
Geppetto’s has three separate refrigeration units, which serve three different purposes. This week two of those three went down. Fortunately the big walk-in cooler held her own. We took swift action, shifted gears, saved precious time and suffered minimal loss. We managed to fit everything from the two other coolers into the big walk-in. It made for some tight spacing and some shouting “Where’s the @#$&*! …?” but we managed. All credit to our fabulous staff… who work so well together and understand the old place is doing it’s best. They also know help is on the way.
We have a really smart repairman. Believe it or not… his name is Scott, Scott Costello. I call him, Scotty… but not to his face. He is our engineer! He keeps our ship running. He’s the kind of guy who can fix anything. New fangled machinery is certainly in his wheelhouse but I think he genuinely likes Geppetto’s and the the old school challenges we provide. Our equipment has few bells and whistles.
"It took longer than it used to to get parts. He said. Because the parts warehouse doesn’t operate like it used to. They keep as little on hand as possible and it so we wait.”
This Geppetto’s Log is a shout out to all the folks who fix things and keep us running, repairpersons of all kinds, mechanics, electricians and plumbers to name a few. They are truly essential workers. They aren’t afraid to go where no man has gone before and where that is… I can only imagine. Scott did say, when he was here last, that he doesn’t mind crawling around on the floor at Geppetto’s, “Cause this place is so clean!” - Music to my ears!
Geppetto's Italian Restaurant