Romero’s built on family dream of serving others

The humble building on the corner of Main and Maysville in Mt. Sterling has taken many forms over the years.

A lineage George Romero is happy to be the latest tenant of.

There have been a lot of restaurants in this building. This building is 150 years old. We would drive by and say, 'Man, what we could do with a space like this,’” Romero said.

Those thoughts became a reality on August 11, 2022.

That’s when the Romero’s started welcoming people in for a high-quality bite to eat, from an early phase of Cuban cuisine to the now Italian fusion moniker.

"We call it Italian fusion because, being Spanish, we're always going to bring that Spanish flare into our dishes no matter what they are,” Romero said.

George Romero has faith in his chef, who crafts every dish that touches a dining room table.

It helps when that chef is his son Seth.

"I've always had a passion for cooking ever since working at home. I've been doing it going on about 10 years now,” Seth Romero said.

"It's kind of like a blueprint, so I see every ingredient and what it does, how it tastes, and what it can be when they're melded together."

For any savvy cinema buff, the name George Romero might catch their eye, and they’re right.

The owner is the son and namesake of George A. Romero, the director of the Night of the Living Dead.

Not only did seeing his dad succeed lead him into the movie business (which George A. was adamantly against), but George also took to the kindness his father showed each person he interacted with along his path to stardom.

"It was incredible. To watch him make time for people at conventions and watch him the way he was with everybody,” George Romero said.

“I think that helped form a lot of how I am with people."

The foundation of Romero’s is firmly built on family.

Everything that is within brick-and-mortar walls today started within the confines of imagination for George, his wife Rebecca, and their son Seth.

"We have thought about everything. What would the dining room, what kind of lighting would we have. What kind of music would we play,” Rebecca said.

"It was our dream, you know? It started out as a conversation, and it became our dream. I'm so proud—so proud of our family."

Customers like Mary Katherine Routt, who has been coming to Romero’s regularly for about a year, feel that pride.

"It's a great vibe—very family atmosphere. People can come have fun by themselves or with a group of friends. Everyone is super friendly and welcoming,” Routt said.

Routt first came to Romero’s for a script-writing session that Romero offers at the restaurant.

The family wants to expand their service beyond food, giving back to the community, and fostering a connection in any way they can.

“We've grown our family table to include as much of our community as we can, and we love that that community keeps growing daily,” George Romero said.

Romero’s is at 2 E Main Street in Mt. Sterling. It is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 11 p.m., Friday from 5 to 11 p.m., and Saturday from 3 to 10 p.m.

To learn more about Romero’s click here.