ELLERY - At Vullo's Restaurant, the parking lot is empty and it's dark inside.
On the front door, a hand-written sign taped to the glass says only: ''Closed due to economic conditions. Thank you.''
The restaurant, located on Route 430 in Greenhurst, was a Chautauqua County icon for nearly 20 years. It closed on Saturday without warning.
In a news release issued Tuesday night, restaurant representatives said slow spending conditions locally played a role in the decision to close the restaurant, but Charles Vullo also said he wanted to spend more time with his granddaughter, Audrina, and the rest of his family.
''Vullo's has provided the community a unique dining experience six days a week for over 20 years -it was just time,'' restaurant representatives said.
A waitress at the restaurant, who spoke with The Post-Journal on condition of anonymity, said late Monday night the restaurant had closed with no notice to employees.
''One of my co-workers and I showed up for work at around 4 p.m. (Monday) and there was a sign on the front door and the side door saying the restaurant was closed due to the economy,'' the waitress said. ''I called another co-worker who had gone in to pick her check up at around 3:15 (p.m.) or so, and she was unable to get in to get her check.''
The waitress said Tuesday afternoon that telephone calls made by former employees to members of the Vullo family were going unanswered.
''They haven't told us how to get our last paychecks,'' she said. ''It's just a little weird, because on the 28th, the schedule for this week was posted as normal and we were all expecting to come in to work.''
A text message forwarded to The Post-Journal from a person close to the decision said, ''I don't know how people found out, but as of today (Tuesday), we are closed. We were advised not to tell anyone. I didn't even know until last Sunday.''
Vullo's opened in July 1989 and was a family owned restaurant. The restaurant offered a variety of dishes but focused primarily on Italian-American cuisine, specializing in veal, seafood, steak, chicken and pasta. Featuring more than 130 entrees, the restaurant quickly became popular and was well known in Chautauqua County and Western New York as a premier location for fine dining. Vullo's was also the ''in-house caterer'' with Summer Wind and Paradise Yacht Cruises.
The restaurant's more than 30 entrees were inspired by Vullo's homeland of Sicily and included seafood, beef, chicken, pasta, veal and homemade desserts. It was primarily operated by Charles and Carm Vullo and their children, Joe, Maria, Tommy and Anna.
For years, the restaurant was the site of birthday and anniversary parties, weddings, reunions and civic affairs as well as hosting many fundraisers at the restaurant.
At least one employee, however, says she is hurt by the way the restaurant closed its doors.
''I've talked to a lot of the workers, and the general feeling from us is that we put in a lot of time and effort to make their business succeed,'' the waitress said. ''We took holidays away from our own families to work. And for them to not tell us they're closing - it makes us feel a little hurt and betrayed.''
