Excerpt from St Clair County News
Thursday/February/03/2011
Thursday/February/03/201
SPRINGVILLE - Cannolis, chicken parmesan and care are delivered to diners at Sal's. A Springville Staple for dining, Sal's recently relocated into a new building and is implementing a new business plan. New owner Chris Hale has been in the restaurant business for more than a decade now. No stranger to what is most important in life, this father of six welcomes customers to become a part of the family. "It's not about me, it's about the people. They are our success," Hale said. Making the move to 101 Marietta Road, across from the National Guard Armory just off Main Street in Springville, has proven to be a wise decision, according to Hale. "This has been an excellent move for us, especially for parking, and everybody loves a small Italian restaurant," Hale said. "It's important that we appeal to all types of people, because this is a family restaurant as well as a business restaurant. The business flow here is phenomenal. We have better parking, traffic and more flexibility." Sal's serves lunch and dinner to "an eclectic crowd." "That's the thing with Sal's - you never know who you're going to meet," Hale joked. "You'll be sitting at a table; you'll have the sheriffs of St. Clair, Blount and Jefferson counties. You never know - you could be sitting next to the Godfather....It's very exciting. Every day is fun." Hale said running Sal's is his dream, and he tries to create a welcoming environment where everyone feels equally important. "From the 16-year-old filling out an application, to our vendors and the fire departments, they are all customers. We treat everybody the same," Hale said. Hale claims that the menu at Sal's has "something for everyone," and each item embodies the restaurant staff's commitment to quality, value and generous portion size. Paul "Big Pauly" Gagliano, a vendor with U.S. Foods, said his favorite dish is the chicken parmesan. The only problem with it? "It's too big," said Gagliano. Hale and the Head Chef take that as a compliment. "That's another great thing about Sal's - you will most likely be taking some home with you, and it's even better the next day." Hale said. Customers will find such dishes as lasagna, chicken fettuccine, pizza and calzones on the menu at Sal's.