Bill Text: VA HJR568 | 2023 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-02-02 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ568ER) [HJR568 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2023-HJR568-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, a venerable dining establishment in York County beloved by guests for its exceptional food and service, celebrated its 50th anniversary in November 2022; and
WHEREAS, Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria was founded by Rosaria Buffa, affectionately known by many as "Mama," and her husband, Girolamo, who moved from Sicily to New York in 1968 before settling in the Commonwealth two years later; and
WHEREAS, the Buffas opened Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria in November 1972 in a former Western Auto store located along U.S. Route 17 in York County, sharing recipes from their native Italy to the delight of residents and visitors of the Virginia Peninsula; and
WHEREAS, shortly after the restaurant's founding, Bui Quan Hung, who escaped the war in Vietnam in the 1970s, found employment at Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria and quickly became a vital member of the restaurant staff; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, after serving in the roles of busboy, cook, server, and host for nearly four decades and learning the secrets of Italian cooking from Rosaria Buffa, Bui Quan Hung, known by many as Harold, assumed ownership of Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria from Mario Buffa, son of Rosaria and Girolamo Buffa, who had taken control of the restaurant following his parents' retirement in 2003; and
WHEREAS, with help from his family, Bui Quan Hung, who has been with Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria for 47 of its 50 years in existence, upholds the traditions of quality and service that have been central to the restaurant's success over the past half-century; and
WHEREAS, the accomplishments and popularity of Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria are the result of the dedication of its staff, including Suzie Baumm, who has been a server and manager with the restaurant for the past 27 years; and
WHEREAS, Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria weathered the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerged ready to enjoy another half-century as one of York County's favorite places for friends and family to gather to share a meal; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria of York County on the occasion of its 50th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Bui Quan Hung, owner of Joe & Mimma's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the restaurant's contributions to the Commonwealth.
