{"id":1905,"date":"2018-06-29T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2018-06-29T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1905"},"modified":"2018-06-26T23:05:10","modified_gmt":"2018-06-27T03:05:10","slug":"danielle-mercuri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1905","title":{"rendered":"Danielle Mercuri"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learning to Rise N Shine\u00a0<\/em><\/h1>\n

By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Alice G. Patterson<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Danielle Mercuri didn\u2019t know what to do or where to turn. She\u2019d been on unemployment for a while. Utilities were being shut off. And she had three daughters to raise.<\/p>\n

Then, the phone rang. The timing was impeccable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was probably five minutes prior to me being literally on my knees crying because I was so upset,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n

Danielle\u2019s stepfather was on the line. His friend, Peter Hennessey, owned The Rise N Shine Diner, a small eatery tucked away behind Valvoline Instant Oil Change on Thompson Road near Carrier Circle in Syracuse. Danielle had never heard of the restaurant, let alone met Pete before. Her stepfather suggested she work as a server at the diner.<\/p>\n

She had experience serving \u2014 almost a decade\u2019s worth \u2014 but wasn\u2019t thrilled at the prospect of revisiting the experience. But she needed a job, and Pete was hiring.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s how I found this place,\u201d she said, gesturing to the modest, bustling, colorful restaurant.<\/p>\n

Danielle, now the owner of The Rise N Shine Diner, grew the business from an average trucker\u2019s diner to a Syracuse staple, a destination visited by people from around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going on our sixth year,\u201d she said. \u201cIt feels like yesterday. It\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learning the diner basics<\/h4>\n

When Danielle began serving at Rise N Shine, it was means to survival, to keep the lights on at home.<\/p>\n

Before long, it became more than that. Danielle brought a background in fashion design with her to the new job, adding a flair of creativity. Eventually, she took on some managerial responsibilities. Pete even began teaching her to cook.<\/p>\n

While she\u2019d had experience cooking creative dishes at home \u2014 \u201cweird stuff,\u201d she recalled with a laugh \u2014 it wasn\u2019t until she was in the diner that she expanded her knowledge.<\/p>\n

\u201cPete showed me those skills you just don\u2019t get to learn in your own home kitchen, [the skills you] you learn on a cook line,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

It was under unfortunate circumstances that Pete enlisted her help on the line. While at the time, he simply thought he was sick, Pete eventually learned he was suffering from leukemia. Some days, he couldn\u2019t even stand.<\/p>\n

Soon, it became clear someone else would have to take the reins at Rise N Shine.<\/p>\n

Business behind-the-scenes<\/h4>\n

In November 2012, Danielle went to see Pete in the hospital. She expected it to be a simple visit, to check on the man who\u2019d become like an uncle to her.<\/p>\n

But, when she arrived, she was met with a roomful of lawyers and an accountant. She soon learned Pete planned to sign the restaurant to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d she asked him. \u201cAre you serious? Is this what you really want to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pete wasn\u2019t much of an emotional man, Danielle recalled. His response was simple and straightforward.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is what you\u2019re going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those first few months, Danielle talked to Pete on the phone almost every night about her new business. They assumed he\u2019d recover and continue to coach her through the process from Florida, but that wasn\u2019t the case. Pete passed away in February 2013.<\/p>\n

So, there Danielle was, a new business owner with no business background. She had learned a lot from Pete in her time at Rise N Shine, but wasn\u2019t familiar with the behind-the-scenes inner workings of the business.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere do you buy things? Where do you go? Who are the vendors? I know nothing,\u201d she remembered thinking at the time.<\/p>\n

However, Danielle had two important skills on her side: perseverance and customer service.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know how to treat customers. I know what they want. That\u2019s actually my thing,\u201d she said, adding she also thrived off the creative aspect of designing a menu and making food.<\/p>\n

During that same time, Danielle faced challenges in her personal life, as well. Being a business owner helped instill in her the confidence to make other changes in her life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt that these moves \u2014 even though they were bad in a sense, with a man dying \u2014 these moves were changes in my life that helped me grow,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I wanted to make sure I did it the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first couple of years were tough, Danielle admitted. She and her daughters were essentially homeless for a time, living in a hotel for a summer.<\/p>\n

Her family helped her a great deal, offering financial backing and advice. They\u2019re still by her side today.<\/p>\n

Despite the challenges she faced, there was no going back, Danielle remembered thinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kept saying, \u2018I\u2019m not giving up. I\u2019m not giving up. I can\u2019t let this go,\u2019\u201d she said, admitting it was tough to build the business. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy. From what I did then to what I do now, I would have never imagined it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sprucing up the menu<\/h4>\n

From day one of business ownership, Danielle knew she\u2019d need to change the menu to be successful. The changes ended up being extensive.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, it was, \u2018Tweak a burger, tweak a sandwich.\u2019 And then, \u2018Screw it, let\u2019s do the whole thing,\u2019\u201d she remembered with a laugh.<\/p>\n

The one item she didn\u2019t alter at all is the home fries recipe, Danielle said proudly. Down to the type of potato, seasonings and cooking method, Pete\u2019s staple breakfast food has remained the same.<\/p>\n

Change isn\u2019t always easy \u2014 for anyone involved. In an industry often dependent on regulars, that can present a challenge.<\/p>\n

Danielle began experimenting by adding influences from Spanish and Mexican foods, as well as following culinary trends from places like New York City or New Jersey.<\/p>\n

Many of the diner\u2019s regulars, older men who\u2019d been friends with Pete, told her, \u201cThis is silly. You\u2019re crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that didn\u2019t stop Danielle. Now, the menu boasts pages and pages of unique and innovative breakfast and lunch offerings, ranging from immense omelets to the pancake factory to the green leafy stuff, to borrow wording from the menu itself. For a complete list, visit risenshinediner.com\/menu<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hate to even say sometimes we\u2019re a diner, just because we bring so many different things here,\u201d Danielle said.<\/p>\n

Growing the Rise N Shine family<\/h4>\n

Along with expanding the menu, Danielle also slowly expanded her team. She\u2019s grown the employee base from about five people when she inherited the business to 17 people currently.<\/p>\n

That includes two of her three daughters, both of whom want to follow their mother\u2019s culinary footsteps, as well as her sister. Danielle\u2019s sister was hired as a dishwasher shortly before Pete\u2019s passing, and now works as Rise N Shine\u2019s head baker, responsible for breads, cookies and cinnamon rolls. People come from all over just for the rolls, Danielle said.<\/p>\n

Danielle admitted it can be a love-hate relationship at times, and wouldn\u2019t recommend working with family to everyone, but it works well for them, she said with a smile. She\u2019s also brought on staff she\u2019d met at other local diners over the years, including current manager Kellie Vadekas, who previously owned The No Name Diner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey come with their own entourage,\u201d Danielle explained. \u201cThey have their own regulars who they have from back in the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Along with regulars from other diners, Danielle has worked to attract many new Rise N Shine regulars since taking over in 2012.<\/p>\n

It was initially a difficult task, since the restaurant was tucked away with little signage. At the beginning, on days when their small sandwich board blew down, the restaurant would see few customers.<\/p>\n

Now, thanks to the location near the New York State Thruway and the power of social media, there\u2019s hardly a need for any physical signage. On most weekend mornings, customers are willing to wait upwards of an hour for a seat at Rise N Shine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get people from all over the world,\u201d Danielle said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many photos people come across on social media \u2014 on Yelp, Google and TripAdvisor, just to make a few \u2014 are taken by customers, Danielle said. Because of people\u2019s propensity to snap before they eat, she\u2019s always keeping that next photo in mind when making and plating the food.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s another huge thing of mine: presentation,\u201d she said. \u201cQuality [is] first and foremost, but presentation is key.\u201d<\/p>\n

The future of The Rise N Shine Diner<\/h4>\n

Now in her sixth year as owner, Danielle admits she\u2019s thought about opening another location of The Rise N Shine Diner, possibly in the Central New York area or even out of state. There\u2019s demand for it, she said.<\/p>\n

But, regardless of what happens, the original location will forever be her baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like that right moment will come, just like coming to here,\u201d she said, thinking back to that original life-changing phone call. \u201cSo, I\u2019m waiting for that moment, that a-ha moment.\u201d SWM<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Learning to Rise N Shine\u00a0 By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Alice G. Patterson\u00a0 Danielle Mercuri didn\u2019t know what to do or where to turn. She\u2019d been on unemployment for a while. Utilities were being shut off. And she had three daughters to raise. Then, the phone rang. The timing was impeccable. \u201cThis was probably…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1946,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[146,642,637,133,643,262],"class_list":["post-1905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-alice-g-patterson","tag-danielle-mercuri","tag-july-2018","tag-lorna-oppedisano","tag-rise-n-shine-diner","tag-syracuse-woman-magazine"],"gutentor_comment":2,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Danielle-Campolito-Rise-N-Shine-Diner-0004-RT.jpg?fit=5200%2C3470&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1288,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1288","url_meta":{"origin":1905,"position":0},"title":"Annie Taylor","author":"Staff","date":"December 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Designing Your Passion By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Alice G. Patterson When Annie Taylor planned her wedding, Pinterest-inspired, do-it-yourself festivities were not the norm. But Annie wanted her own creative, unique wedding invitations. So, returning home every evening from her job at Stonewall Kitchen\u2019s in-house design department, she\u2019d set\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=99"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Annie-Taylor-0009.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Annie-Taylor-0009.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Annie-Taylor-0009.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Annie-Taylor-0009.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Annie-Taylor-0009.jpg?fit=1200%2C801&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1537,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1537","url_meta":{"origin":1905,"position":1},"title":"Nancy Aureli","author":"Staff","date":"February 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Creating Community Resources\u00a0 By Lorna Oppedisano | Photography by Alice G. 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