Skip to Content

Popular

This Week's Contributions from Our Readers
Reader Submissions
The Highest Glass Floor in the World!
Healthcare and the American Way
Travelers Insurance, City of O'Fallon Elected Officials Deny Main Sewer Back-Up Damages. Customers Stuck with the Bill?

Latest News

AG Koster announces top ten scams for 2011
TRIVIA NIGHT TO BENEFIT FRIENDS OF WENTZVILLE PARKS
THE 19TH ANNUAL BEGGIN’® PET PARADE
Your Help Is Needed!
5 Driving Habits to Break Today
We are a "No hassle, full service banquet center."
Sno Biz shaved ice
Living is better because we are here.
Home

Meet the Family and Staff of Stefanina's Italian Restaurant & Pizzaria

Mon, 09/14/2009 - 7:50am
Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Glen Roderick and Bill LeBeume of Stefanina's Italian Restaurant were awarded

the O'Fallon 2006 Business of the Year Award

  27 years is a long time – especially to those who lived in this area in 1981. To say we’ve seen a lot of change is an understatement. Many of the changes we’ve seen have added to the community and are quite marvelous. Yet, many of the things that remain the same are often dearly valued. This is true of O’Fallon’s own Stefanina’s Pizzaria and Restaurant. Stefanina’s is a jewel in O’Fallon’s crown – a shining example of a successful, traditional family-owned and operated business – a significant piece of O’Fallon’s past, present and future!

  Stefanina Vitale Roderick, the founder of Stefanina’s, was an immigrant from Italy who moved to this country with her family at 14 years of age.  She later married Glen Roderick, Sr., a truck driver and initially lived in North County. The family later moved to the O’Fallon area. Stefanina was the mother three children, a seamstress by trade and was known as a wonderful cook. Stef’s recipes came with her from Sicily, and include her own addition of “a pinch of this and a handful of that.”  It was because of her fondness for cooking and delicious recipes that her family encouraged her to pursue the opening of Stefanina’s Pizzaria and Restaurant. Glen, Stefanina’s son, joined his mother and opened the original Stefanina’s location in, what is now, a storefront in O’Fallon Square. Within three years, mother and son took a vacated transmission shop and remodeled it into the Stefanina’s location of today. In 1996, Stef’s son-in-law, Bill LaBeaume, joined the management.  And, their business continued to flourished as their fine food, service and community support became evident in everything they did.

   Stefanina Vitale Roderick was known to be tough, but fair; hard-working and honest. It was these traits that built Stefanina’s into one of the most respected and successful restaurants in the St. Charles County area. Even today the staff of Stefanina’s uses the same delicious recipes from Stef’s collections.  And, Stef’s customers are still surrounded by that same Italian ambiance, family warmth and welcome that we’ve all come to know and love!     

   To date, Stefanina’s Pizzaria and Restaurant has employed over 1,000 people – many of which were teenagers employed at their first job. And, since that time, Stefanina’s has undergone several expansions and renovations, added three new Stefanina’s Express locations (St. Peters, Elm St. at 370 and Zumbehl Road)  expanded from a handful of employees to approximately 100 employees now.

    Sadly, Stefanina Vitale Roderick passed on in 1999.  Glen, Bill, Stefanina’s staff, family and long-time customers will always remember the amazing contribution Stefanina Vitale Roderick made in O’Fallon’s original business community. Today, Stefanina’s is recognized as the oldest member of the O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce and an original member of the O’Fallon Business Association. Both Bill and Glen continue to serve on various civic boards.

     Throughout the last 25 years, Stef’s restaurant family grew too. Glen and Barbara Roderick have two children – Paul, who is 15 years old and; Stephanie, who is 12 years old. Bill and Lena LaBeaume have three children – Jeff, who is 21 years old; Christina, who is 18 years old and; Nicolas, who is 14 years old. Jeff and Christina are now third generation employees in the restaurant.

    As the families of Stefanina’s Pizzaria and Restaurant head into their next 27 years, we thank you for your contributions to our community and wish you the best in everything you do.