Little Venice celebrates 30 years of success

On March 14, 1992, the iconic Trumansburg eatery Little Venice officially opened its doors for business. In the 30 years that have followed, the beloved Italian eatery has become a Main Street destination for locals and visitors alike.

Original owner, Steve Caywood, along with his wife, Robin, set out to create an environment that was warm, welcoming and all inclusive for the village he not only lived in but dearly loved.

Steve’s genuine affection for the community and his big heart encompassed staff who were not only loyal employees but family.

Two long-standing employees, Jessie Gardner and John Miexell, shared their love of Little Venice so strongly with Steve that they jointly approached him to buy it.

“I was a bartender and manager here for 15 years, and John was the kitchen manager for nine,” Gardner said. “We approached Steve and pitched him our proposal to buy it. We explained that we wanted to own it and that we wanted to keep it the same.”

Although Little Venice was not for sale, Gardner and Miexell were excited to learn that Steve, after much consideration, had decided to let them take over ownership.

“John and I became the official owners of Little Venice in October 2017,” Gardner said. “Since we’ve owned Little Venice, and even before that, Steve and Robin were always there to guide and support us. I could pick up the phone right now, or at any time, and call, and they would pick up.”

Although the Caywoods handed over the reins to Gardner and Miexell, retiring to Cape Coral, Florida, the generosity and spirit of the Caywoods is still felt daily at Little Venice.

“John and I have always been grateful for the overwhelming support of this community,” Gardner explained. “We’ve been so grateful, especially over the last two years, for the continued support that we wanted to have a celebration for the community as well as past and present staff members who have helped make us what we are.”

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Little Venice, Gardner and Miexell are having an all-day celebration March 12 to honor all the employees, community members and, above all, the Caywoods.

“We have always been grateful for the support we’ve received, but in the last two years, it’s been critical to our survival,” Gardner said. “We want to celebrate the support we’ve received and to highlight the man that started the place that we now consider home.”

The celebration will host a collection of photos provided by the Ulysses Historical Society over the years, as well as a history log of the businesses, landmarks and people that have helped shape downtown Trumansburg.

“We will be showcasing the growth and evolution of Little Venice through pictures of current and past employees, trophies and memorabilia,” Gardner said. “We will have a throwback menu and drink specials from old menus from the ’90s. It will feature items from the menus offered in the past at the prices they were then.”

Little Venice will offer a special karaoke celebration from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. that night and will feature contests throughout. Prizes and Little Venice swag packs are up for grabs for winning participants.

“We’re just super proud that Little Venice has made it to this point,” Gardner said. “We’re beyond grateful that we have survived the past few years. It was so intimidating at first because Steve and Robin know so much and had developed such a wonderful community space. They have taught us so much.”

As Gardner and Miexell look forward to having their bar room completely full for the first time in two years — having made it through the challenges of COVID-19 — they reflect on how grateful they are to the Trumansburg community and the man who started it all.

“I have loved Little Venice since before I was a part of it and before I owned it,” Gardner said. “When I was a preteen, my brother and I would save up all week to order pizza and have it delivered to our farm. We would climb up into the barn and have our second dinner. It was wonderful. I would have never imagined I would be lucky enough to ever own it.”

Along with keeping the traditions of scratch-made food, Gardner and Miexell have also continued the generous spirit of Little Venice that was created by its founder.

“Steve had such a big heart, and it made all of us want to give like he did,” Gardner said. “We give back to the community we love at every opportunity. Every year, we will be giving out backpacks, like we did this last year, filled with school supplies and pizza gift cards for kids in the community. We will continue to host dining for dollars events and fundraisers for anyone in need because that’s what Steve taught us and that’s who all of us at Little Venice are.”

With restrictions being lifted and mandates ending, Gardner and Miexell look forward to expanding their offerings to the community, which already include trivia on Thursdays and karaoke on Saturdays.

“Eventually, when we’re back up to speed, we’ll have our famous salad bar starting again, as well as additional events being offered throughout the week,” Gardner said. “We couldn’t be happier or more grateful to be a part of this and keep it going. We found our tribe here in Trumansburg and within our Little Venice family, and it’s exactly where we always want to be.”

Information about Little Venice and current and upcoming events can be found on the Little Venice Facebook page and on its website, littlevenicetburg.com.

Trumansburg Connection appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.