Nathan’s Story
In February 1980, Walter Nathan Harby opened Nathan’s Old Fashioned Soups in Rochester, NY. With his small business experience and love for homemade food, the trendy Park Ave restaurant soon became Rochester’s own iconic soup stop with lunchtime lines out the door.
Rick Torcello, with his love for cooking and friendly nature, also desired to own and operate a neighborhood-based restaurant. Already having established a successful window cleaning business in Rochester (Crystal Clear Windows), Rick jumped at the opportunity to purchase the restaurant from the Harby family in 2007.
Building upon the original recipes that Nathan’s customers had come to love, Rick added some of his own family’s favorites, such as Grandma’s Italian Wedding Soup, his mother-in-law’s recipe. Rick says, “People tell me it’s the best Italian Wedding Soup they’ve ever had, so we offer it every day.” Rick’s wife Jody came up with the tag line, “Comfort in a Cup” because she says “comfort food is what Nathan’s is all about.” In addition to homemade soups, a variety of fresh green salads, and their over-stuffed signature sandwiches, Nathan’s famous cheese breads are still baked fresh daily. The menu has evolved with an eye toward clean eating and includes selections that are plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
From a one-man show to family-owned and -operated, Nathan’s began to expand when Rick’s sons Jake and Josh, both graduates of MCC, RIT (Marketing) and Cornell (Environmental Economics) respectively, chose to use their education to get in on the ground floor (literally…Jake helped dig the drain pipes at the Henrietta location!) and bolster the business their dad loved. Since they joined, Nathan’s has become a USDA inspected production facility, offers catering for luncheons and special occasions, supplies wholesale distribution (to the U of R, the Taste of Rochester at the Rochester Airport, local hospitals, among others) and provides co-packing for small businesses (some of the sauces you get at local restaurants and grocers are made by Nathans!). They also supply one of the local cancer centers with soups and breads daily.
Although, Nathan’s had to close its doors at Park Ave and Eastview Mall, it continues to be a favorite among RIT students at the Student Alumni Union building. The Regional Market on Jefferson Rd in Henrietta is the main hub of in-person dining and take-out as well as all of the production and services mentioned above. The bottom line? Nathan’s is a family business that truly enjoys providing quality food and service to the community, values their employees, and is grateful for the support of friends, family and every customer.