After decades of catering food, John Roberto is opening his own event center in Painesville Township.
The owner of J&J Catering is preparing to welcome guests to the new Woods on 84 Event Center at 980 Riverside Drive, which is next to his Fire and Ice restaurant. He was putting finishing touches on the center on May 31, though he said that he is “available to take bookings any time.”
Roberto said that the Woods on 84 can seat up to 80 guests for events such as weddings, showers, rehearsal dinners, fundraisers, graduation parties, business meetings, anniversary parties, birthday parties and other gatherings.
“We will be taking small groups that would normally try to squeeze in a restaurant somewhere,” he said. “You could just plan ahead, book the space for a few hours and come in, get a meal and have a nice private area.”
Roberto added that clients can schedule events for “any time of day.” The center will offer wine tastings, breakfast, lunch and dinner, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
He also plans to hold community events in the center’s early months.
“I’ll be doing different dinners and I’m going to change them up,” Roberto said. “So, we might have an Italian night that people can come in, eat the food without having an event, or we might do a wine-tasting dinner or maybe even just a burger night.”
He added that information about the events will be posted to the center’s website, thewoodson84.com. He expects to host the first one within one or two months.
The Woods on 84 includes a series of tables that can be rearranged for different events, as well as a sound system and television screen. Roberto said that the center will also include a kitchen and a bar with a liquor license.
The center includes indoor seating as well as an open area in the backyard, he added. A smaller room can be used as a space for a DJ, a bridal changing area or other needs.
Roberto said that the new event center grew out of his experiences in the food service business. He started working in the industry in the 1980s and opened J&J Catering a decade later.
He added that he “always wanted a hall for the events.” He later purchased the site for the Woods on 84 in 2020.
“When people call, they’re always asking me for a space, and I tell them where we go,” Roberto said. “And I thought there was a good market for having a mid-size event center instead of a real big one or really small one, so that’s why I decided on this size and just more offerings for my clients.”
More information is available on the Woods on 84 Event Center’s website. The business can also be reached by calling 440-867-2024 or johnroberto@sbcglobal.net.