The Federal Restaurant and Bar, a renowned establishment in western Massachusetts, has closed for good and is currently listed for sale.
AGAWAM, Mass. (WWLP) – The Federal Restaurant and Bar, a renowned establishment in western Massachusetts, has closed for good and is currently listed for sale.
Situated on Cooper Street in Agawam, the restaurant was known for its refined ambiance. It closed for renovations in February while the owners were launching another restaurant, Lola’s, in Longmeadow.
Co-owner Ralph Santaniello cited family health issues as the reason for re-evaluating their plans, which ultimately led to the decision to sell the 162-year-old building. Santaniello reflected on his 22 years spent at The Federal.
“The first person I hired was my wife, I ended up marrying her years later. I had my twin daughters’ first birthday party there. We have a lot of great memories there as a family. We owe everything we have to that restaurant. We made a lot of friends over the years. But it was the right decision for us as a family.”
Ralph Santaniello, The Federal Restaurant Group
Santaniello says that they will now focus on their restaurants at the Longmeadow Shops—Lola’s and Posto Italian.
He hopes another family will take over The Federal and put as much love in it as his family did for the past two decades.
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