Trapper’s Pizza Pub is turning 20 this month, and to celebrate two decades of serving up pizzas in our East Syracuse-Dewitt community we are publishing a blog series to highlight the occasion. This week we were able to chat with Greg Rinaldi, who is the original owner of Trapper’s, Trapper’s II in Minoa, Stingers in Manlius, and Wildcat in Camillus.
Stay tuned later in the Summer for updates on a 20th Anniversary Party that is currently in the works.
An older version of the Trapper’s Pizza Pub restaurant.
Vision of Community
Greg Rinaldi grew up in Fayetteville and attended Fayetteville-Manlius High School. He currently resides in Minoa and is the owner of Superior Seal and Paving. When he first opened Trapper’s Pizza Pub, Rinaldi was living in East Syracuse and had already opened Superior Seal and Paving. His original motivation for opening Trapper’s was as a way to offer year-round employment to his Superior Seal and Paving staff, who were typically forced to find work in the Winter season. Opening Trapper’s Pizza Pub was the perfect way to offer a steady stream of employment.
Rinaldi’s vision for Trapper’s was of a family-friendly atmosphere where everyone and anyone could come in and enjoy themselves. He took bits and pieces of other restaurants and bars he had come to love and combined them to create the pizza pub we now know and love.
Expansion
When Rinaldi decided to open Trapper’s II nine years later, it was because his employees wanted him to expand and grow the business. “I felt I could. I had good people working for me and they were all pushing me to open a new location,” he says of that point in time.
He would go on to open all four locations, running each of them as well as Superior Seal and Paving at the same time.
Transition
Rinaldi eventually stepped away from running his four restaurants when his son was young. “I had so many employees, it was wearing me down… it was eating up all of my time,” he said of the decision. Now, he enjoys frequenting Trapper’s and his other former restaurants as a regular customer. Most of the restaurants have employees that he hired back in the day, so there’s always someone to say “hi” to or catch-up with.
When Alex Szlamczynski, the current owner of Trapper’s Pizza Pub, was first hired he was just another employee. Rinaldi said of Alex, “He came in and worked really hard. He was a smart kid.” Alex took over the operation of Trapper’s, as well as the day-to-day management of the East Syracuse location. Keep an eye out for a forthcoming interview with Alex too for this series.
The Trapper’s Pizza Pub patio open in the Spring, Summer and Fall.
20th Anniversary Message
When asked how he felt about his original restaurant turning twenty this year, Rinaldi was thrilled. “I think it’s great,” he said. “The success of it [a business] is that when someone leaves, it continues to run. It’s a credit to all the owners. I’m happy for everyone. I’m happy watching them succeed.”
He left us with the following message for all of the Trapper’s staff, customers, and community: “I’m just grateful that they’re [all of the restaurants] still around. I’m grateful to the community and the people who own them who’ve honored the original vision. They stuck with the plan and made it better.”
“Maybe I was right with the things I did originally,” Rinaldi mused about his original vision for Trapper’s. “I can’t say enough about how hard they all work,” he said about the new owners of his former restaurants. “People don’t realize it’s hard to work in the restaurant industry. They all have great owners and they all work.”
Trapper’s Pizza Pub’s 20th Anniversary is this May 2021, but we’ll be continuing the celebration into the Summer. Thank you to our staff and loyal customers for continuing to support us throughout the pandemic. Thank you, also, to Greg Rinaldi for taking the time to talk to us for this post. Keep an eye on our Blog for more on the 20th Anniversary.
Christie Donato is the Marketing Manager for Trapper’s Pizza Pub and a freelance writer. She’s a co-founder of Rogue Dialogue Productions and a writer on the podcast Windfall. Originally from Syracuse, she now resides in Queens with her dog, Piper. You can find more of her work here.
Monday, May 3rd marks the start of the first session of Trapper’s Volleyball League. After a long year with plenty of hand-wringing around whether or not volleyball was allowed, we’re excited to be able to get back to it.
This throwback picture is from a Trapper’s Volleyball game from back in 2015.
Volleyball Registration Details
If your volleyball team hasn’t already signed up, we strongly encourage you to follow this link and do so now. Spots are filling up fast and we don’t want you to miss out! Our website takes PayPal for payments, but if you’d prefer to pay with cash or credit card you can head into Trapper’s Pizza Pub this week to sign up in person. It costs $115.00 (before taxes) to register your team online, but if you register in person we are offering you a $15 discount on that price.
Trapper’s Volleyball Facebook Page
We’re also here to plug the new Trapper’s Volleyball Facebook Page once again. If you haven’t joined yet, head on over and become a member now. It’s a place for everyone to communicate about coming games, to find a sub, to look for that missing fourth member of the team, or just to discuss the latest volleyball news. We hope everyone will keep it a safe, inclusive place for everyone.
Events are Back
As we move into the Summer months here in Syracuse, Trapper’s will be bringing back live music on Friday nights. Local musicians can contact our Events Department at events@trapperspizza.com to schedule performances.
We also had our first Right Mind Syracuse crafting workshop on Tuesday, April 18th, which was a great success! Attendees used stencils and paint to create a DIY porch sign. The next Right Mind event is a Macrame Plant Hanger Workshop on Tuesday, May 18th. Tickets are already available on the Right Mind Syracuse website.
We can’t wait to see Trapper’s and our community come back to life this Spring and Summer. Stay safe and remember to follow CDC Guidelines.
Christie Donato is the Marketing Manager for Trapper’s Pizza Pub and a freelance writer. She’s a co-founder of Rogue Dialogue Productions and a writer on the podcast Windfall. Originally from Syracuse, she now resides in Queens with her dog, Piper. You can find more of her work here.
Daffodils in snow by local East Syracuse photographer, Mallory Roach.
As we officially head into Spring here in Central New York, there are quite a few changes happening at Trapper’s Pizza Pub, and a lot to look forward to, as well. In typical Syracuse fashion, the weather has been all over the place this past week, with temperatures in the 80’s over the weekend. We can look forward to some April showers this upcoming week, but the mild temperatures of Spring should stay strong.
Shaking Things Up
April always brings with it a sense of transformation. It’s a time for Spring cleaning and putting words into action. Here at Trapper’s, we’re coming out of the past Winter with some big plans, and we’re excited to share them with all of you. If you’ve been to Trapper’s Pizza Pub recently, you may have noticed that the restaurant has a fresh, new coat of paint. While the familiar faces of our hand-painted mascots have been a part of the barroom for years, we felt it was time for the restaurant itself to take on a more modern look and feel. We’ll be rolling the rest of the updates out over the next couple of months, so make sure to keep an eye out for more changes to come.
The Trapper’s Pizza Pub barroom gets a new coat of paint and a fresh look this month.
Trapper’s Pizza Pub’s 20th Anniversary
Can you believe that next month is the official 20th Anniversary of Trapper’s Pizza Pub? We’re so grateful to have been a part of this community for the past two decades, and because of this important milestone, we have a lot of exciting plans for the rest of 2021 in the works. It’s also partially why Trapper’s itself is getting a facelift. After 20 years in business, it felt like time to make some aesthetic adjustments. In honor of our anniversary, we’re also putting out a series of blog posts on the history of Trapper’s Pizza Pub, interviews with the people who created, a special conversation with its current owner, and more throughout the month of May. New blog posts drop every Sunday!
The Brand New Trapper’s Volleyball Facebook Group
Warm weather means the first session of Trapper’s Volleyball League is right around the corner, and this year is no different. Unless we hear differently from New York State, Session One is scheduled to begin the week of May 3rd. That’s only three weeks away! If you haven’t signed your team up already, head on over to the Volleyball Page to register today via PayPal. You can also sign up in person at Trapper’s Pizza Pub for a $15 discount.
If you’re interested in joining but aren’t already part of a team, head over to our new Volleyball Facebook Group to connect with others in our volleyball community. This group is meant to be a place for open communication about all things related to the Trapper’s Volleyball League. We encourage everyone involved to join, and we can’t wait for the volleyball season to officially start! Also, if anyone out there is interested in becoming a Moderator for the Facebook Group, send us a DM and we’ll be happy to add you on.
Trapper’s Pizza Pub is hiring pizza and grill cooks! Email events@trapperspizza.com to apply.
We’re Hiring Pizza Cooks
The last bit of April news is that Trapper’s Pizza Pub is hiring! We’re in need of pizza and grill cooks to join our growing kitchen staff. Ideally, we’re looking for someone (or multiple people) who has experience with both a pizza oven and grill, but for the right person, we’re happy to train in one area or the other. If you’re interested, please send a resumé over to events@trapperspizza.com. If you know someone who would be a great fit for this role, please send them our way!
We’re looking forward to a beautiful Spring and Summer this year. Our patio is open and ready for days when it’s too nice out to eat at your desk, and nights when all you want is to enjoy a margarita with your closest friends. Check back weekly for more news and updates!
Christie Donato is the Marketing Manager for Trapper’s Pizza Pub and a freelance writer. She’s a co-founder of Rogue Dialogue Productions and a writer on the podcast Windfall. Originally from Syracuse, she now resides in Queens with her dog, Piper. You can find more of her work here.
The pinball table itself is gorgeous – even to someone who knows very little about pinball machines – wrapped in artwork from the Led Zeppelin III album cover. Designed by Steve Ritchie, a renowned video game and pinball game designer lovingly referred to as the “King of Flow”, whose voice has been immortalized as the iconic announcer in the classic fighting game, Mortal Kombat.
The Led Zeppelin Pro Pinball Machine
The Led Zeppelin Pinball Table was designed to mimic the experience of attending a Led Zeppelin concert during the band’s heyday in the ’70s. At the top of every game, players can choose a song from the setlist, but that’s not all, you can also play through different “tours”, allowing for a smooth transition from song to song, as you play.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about this specific pinball table is the fact that there is a Led Zeppelin pinball machine at all. The band is known for being protective of their IP, rarely releasing the rights to their songs for commercial purposes.
The Stern Pinball Led Zeppelin Pro Pinball Machine, out this year.
The Pro version of this table can now be found at Trapper’s Pizza Pub, thanks to our friends at United Vending Services, who own and operate the machines found at our restaurant and several others in the Central New York region. The Led Zeppelin table isn’t the only one at Trapper’s, either. We’re also currently home to both the Avengers: Infinity Quest and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball machines from Stern Pinball, which manufactures all of its tables in Chicago.
Pinball Culture in Syracuse
For many of us, pinball machines are simply colorful relics of a bygone era. After all, recent years have seen the rapid growth of virtual reality gaming systems like Oculus and Playstation VR. A whole new realm of gaming that, back when pinball machines were at their height in the U.S, was nothing more than a glimmer in the eye of early Science Fiction novelists.
Despite the advances in gaming that have taken place since 1931, when the earliest version of a coin-operated pinball table was built, the pinball scene in Syracuse and other Upstate New York cities, is still alive and well thanks to passionate spokespeople like Syracuse-area teacher, Ryan Zlomek.
“Syracuse is wherever you are. It’s a mindset more than a physical location.”
Ryan Zlomek
Syracuse PINheads
We spoke with Zlomek over the phone this week to discuss his undying love of everything pinball and his equally as ardent love for the city of Syracuse itself. “Syracuse is wherever you are. It’s a mindset more than a physical location,” he tells us when asked where PINHeads’ followers are generally located. “My goal is to consistently demonstrate to people that Syracuse is a hub of people with great passions. Mine happens to be pinball. It’s important to be proud of what we’re most passionate about.”
Syracuse PINheads, which Zlomek runs, is a lifestyle brand intended to grow the pinball audience in Central New York.
A neon sign directing customers to pool and pinball.
Although the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit PINheads just as hard as many other local businesses and brands, with the recent lifting of restrictions on bar games Zlomek is hoping to get the (pin)ball rolling once more. Specifically, Zlomek imagines hosting more big events around the city to put Syracuse on the map. He also called out the popular Facebook group CNY Pinball, which is full of pinball hobbyists who put on tournaments at local establishments.
Zlomek explains that thanks to Trapper’s Pizza Pub’s centralized location, great food, and the fact that we have multiple pinball machines, has made Trapper’s a popular spot for these pinball tournaments. Trapper’s is also the premier location to test out the newest pinball machines in Syracuse.
For the Love of Pinball
For Zlomek, pinball found him fairly early in life. He recalls playing pinball and other games with his dad at Buttons Arcade in Eastwood as a kid. He also remembers a family friend who had a pinball machine right in his basement. “Childhood has a way of staying with you,” Zlomek muses. “When I got my first full-time job and was looking to buy a house, the idea of having a pinball machine was part of me. One [pinball machine] turned into two turned into three.” As he dived more into collecting, he also became immersed in the culture. “There’s always been a subculture [of pinball], even going back to the ’40s.”
An old pinball machine in action.
A Pinball Prohibition
For more than 30 years, pinball machines were actually banned in New York. From the 1940’s to the year 1976, pinball was considered a form of gambling. A game that lacked any real skill, Mayor LaGuardia in New York City ordered the destruction of thousands of pinball machines throughout the city, and, up until 1976, illegal pinball game rooms continued to be raided. Something to consider the next time you see a pinball machine tucked in the corner of a laundromat or displayed at your local bar.
The Making of a Pinball Machine
While Zlomek admits that most people aren’t exactly “clamoring” for the latest pinball machines, he still believes that they have an important place in American history and insists that they’ve developed a robust cult following over the years. After all, there’s a lot to love about pinball machines. Consider what it takes to create just one. You need engineers and fine artists working together to design the game, making decisions about the way in which the gameplay interacts with the physical art. Then, you need all kinds of workers with all different skill sets, working together to make the pinball table.
The average machine costs around $6,000 to purchase, but it can cost the company producing them upwards of a million dollars just to get the concept off the ground. They’re also one of the few items that are still 100% American-made.
“The designer was familiar enough with the comics that every time you play the game you’re inside the universe.”
Ryan Zlomek
What Makes a Game Great?
Pinball machines are ranked on playability, invention in engineering – meaning the different ways you use magnets and ramps – and theme. We asked Zlomek what the most memorable pinball machine he’s ever played on was. The answer? The 1993 Judge Dredd Pinball Machine developed by John Trudeau.
“The designer was familiar enough with the comics that every time you play the game you’re inside the universe,” Zlomek says. “Someone decided to take this obscure British comic book character but made it so you can interact with every aspect of the actual comics. You’re immersed in that world and living as that character.” This total immersion in the theme of the pinball machine is part of what draws pinball fans to the game in the first place, and it’s also what makes the Led Zeppelin table so special too.
Three people playing (from left to right) an Iron Maiden, Star Wars and Ghost Busters pinball machine.
Playing the Led Zeppelin Pro
We asked Zlomek for some tips on playing the new Led Zeppelin pinball machine for all of the pinball newbies out there. “Oftentimes we have to give something a try not one, not two, but three times to really fall in love with it,” he tells us, clearly urging all of us beginners not to give up too quickly.
As for the Led Zeppelin game itself, he admits that it was more challenging than he thought it would be, and says that it even took him more than three tries to really get the hang of it. This particular game was also the first time Zlomek was personally invited by United Vending Services to test out a new pinball machine before it was released to the public. The fact that he was one of the first people in the whole country to play a brand new game was certainly not lost on him.
Thinking about getting involved in Syracuse’s pinball community? You can follow Syracuse PINheads on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and behind-the-scenes peaks into pinball culture, and keep your eyes peeled for big events and tournaments on the horizon.
You can also check out the newest pinball machines right at Trapper’s Pizza Pub. “Right now, pinball subculture is full of the most creative, entrepreneurial minds I’ve ever met,” Zlomek says. “Over the last five or six years, I’ve met some of my best friends through this cheesy hobby.”
Christie Donato is the Marketing Manager for Trapper’s Pizza Pub and a freelance writer. She’s a co-founder of Rogue Dialogue Productions and a writer on the podcast Windfall. Originally from Syracuse, she now resides in Queens with her dog, Piper. You can find more of her work here.
Local Syracuse photographer, Hal Silverman, sets up a shot of Trapper’s Pizza Pub’s customer-favorite hot chicken wings.
This past weekend, Trapper’s had the absolute pleasure of working with local photographer Hal Silverman on a shoot featuring some of our signature menu items. This photoshoot has been in the works for some time, as we’ve been working hard behind the scenes at revamping the Trapper’s Pizza Pub website and social media accounts. This push has been ongoing since November, and we hope you’ve enjoyed seeing more of us in your feeds and timelines across Facebook and Instagram.
Summer & Volleyball
The shoot this month is just the beginning, as we have a slew of plans to make your favorite neighborhood pizza joint even better, just in time for the Summer months ahead when we’ll all (hopefully) get to see each other more often. While we’re still waiting to find out more about timing for the start of volleyball season, we’re already accepting team sign-ups on our website. Click here for more information or to enter your team.
Trapper’s Pizza Pub owner, Alex, and photographer, Hal, discuss the next photo on the shot list.
New York State Easing Restrictions
As more and more restrictions are lifted for bars, restaurants and other venues, we’re seeing life slowly return to normal. Trapper’s is committed to keeping our customers, staff and community safe throughout this time, which is why we’ve recently installed plexiglass between booths, and are still careful to maintain proper social distancing between tables throughout the restaurant. We also have multiple heaters on the outside patio for those patrons who are still understandably concerned about dining indoors.
Plexiglass has been installed between booths in the Trapper’s Pizza Pub bar area.
Christie Donato is the Marketing Manager for Trapper’s Pizza Pub and a freelance writer. She’s a co-founder of Rogue Dialogue Productions and a writer on the podcast Windfall. Originally from Syracuse, she now resides in Queens with her dog, Piper. You can find more of her work here.
With cases rising in Onondaga County, we wanted to provide our customers and community with the most up-to-date information regarding zoning and Trapper’s Pizza Pub. First of all, yes, we are still open for business, which includes indoor dining! Trapper’s is currently situated in a Yellow Zone, but that could obviously change at any moment.
In the Yellow Zone
So what does it mean to be in the Yellow Zone? Well, for starters, our dining room is able to remain open as long as we’re following proper protocols. The new restrictions we’re following are:
Only 4 guests are allowed to be seated at a table together
Tables must be 6 feet apart
Maximum capacity for the whole restaurant is down to 50%
Masks must be worn when not seated
Closing at 10 PM every night, including weekends
Impact on Trapper’s
While we’re lucky to be in the least restrictive of all the zones (for now), all of these measures combined are taking a toll on small, locally-owned restaurants like ours. This is why you’re continued support, whether that means visiting us in-person or ordering take-out/delivery, means the world to us. We wouldn’t be open today if it wasn’t for all of you: our loyal customers and community.
How You Can Help
We know that not everyone has the ability to support us monetarily at the moment, so if you’re looking for a free way to keep us in business, the simple act of writing a positive review goes a long way! And this goes for any local business you care about in our East Syracuse – Dewitt community. Don’t underestimate how much it means to write a good review for your favorite pizza place, restaurant, boutique, florist, etc.
So, once again, thank you to everyone reading this and supporting us through this crazy time. We can’t wait to be back to normal! You can find the full list of New York State Yellow Zone Restrictions here.
Christie Donato is the Marketing Manager for Trapper’s Pizza Pub and a freelance writer. She’s a co-founder of Rogue Dialogue Productions and a writer on the podcast Windfall. Originally from Syracuse, she now resides in Queens with her dog, Piper. You can find more of her work here.
