When most people retire, they kick back and relax. Days are spent enjoying a life that’s free of deadlines and time clocks.
But Tony Battaglia is not most people. An idle lifestyle simply doesn’t suit this dynamic gentleman who was once a leader in the construction industry.
That’s why after he retired, Battaglia decided to do something that combined his passion for the game of bocce, his love of traditional Italian food, his eye for detail and his wealth of business experience.
The result was Palazzo di Bocce, a 32,000-square-foot Italian restaurant with 10 indoor bocce courts in Orion Township. It’s been a hit with diners and bocce enthusiasts since opening in June 2004.
“Obviously, I needed action of some sort,” said the 81-year-old Oakland Township resident. “Golf is not enough.”
Looking at Battaglia’s impressive background, it’s easy to see how Palazzo di Bocce came to be and why it has succeeded in a competitive industry with a high failure rate.
Battaglia entered the construction business at the age of 20 as a concrete finisher. That work led him to start building garages and houses, which eventually spawned an interest in constructing commercial buildings.
In 1977, Battaglia partnered with Ben Donaldson and formed Anthony/Bennett Contractors. Two years later, they purchased Cunningham-Limp.
Over the next 20 years, Cunningham-Limp constructed buildings all over the United States, from luxury resorts in Colorado and Florida to hundreds of restaurants for Wendy’s and the now-defunct Cooker Bar & Grille.
“We built millions of square feet,” Battaglia said. “We were a pretty good-sized company. We prided ourselves on always getting the job done on time. We were good at that. We got a lot of work from people who needed the job done fast. We put up some big buildings pretty quick.”
Under Battaglia and Donaldson, Cunningham-Limp went from general contractor to landlord. The company owned many of the buildings it had constructed and started leasing them.
“We were one of the largest taxpayers in Auburn Hills,” Battaglia noted.
But two decades in the construction business took its toll on Battaglia. The hours were long and the work was very intense, especially for a man who is as committed to quality as Battaglia is.
“I got burned out. There was a lot of pressure. I didn’t have any time for myself,” he said.
So, they sold the company in 1999. Half went to principals in the company. The other half was sold to an outside investment firm. After decades of hard work, Battaglia began to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
His retirement involved bocce – lots of bocce. Battaglia and his friends spent their days playing on the court he built at his house and competing in tournaments.
“We were pretty good players,” he said. “I used to practice every day.”
Battaglia and his bocce buddies traveled all the way to Los Gatos, California to compete in a tournament. It was there he discovered an old warehouse that had been converted into a bocce venue featuring indoor and outdoor courts and a restaurant.
“It was fabulous,” he said. “I liked the way they were doing things.”
After seeing that, Battaglia decided to build his own place in Michigan. His goal was to create an establishment that “brings people together” the same way bocce courts and clubs do in Italy’s small towns and villages.
“Over there, everybody knows everybody,” Battaglia said. “It used to be that way here in Detroit when people lived close to each other in cities. People gathered at the end of the day. We lost that in this country when the suburbs were built.”
Battaglia went to work designing Palazzo di Bocce with Tom Holleman and Dave Peterhans, two trusted associates from his years at Cunningham-Limp.
“It was a labor of love for all of us,” he said. “That was fun. We really had a ball doing it.”
Instead of constructing a building to suit someone else’s needs, tastes and vision, Battaglia finally had an opportunity to create something unique, something that truly represented him. Palazzo di Bocce is more than just another project; it’s a personal statement. It’s a reflection of who Tony Battaglia is and what he values as both a professional and a person.
“I was finally building something for myself,” he said. “This (building) is me.”
Everything about Palazzo is specifically designed to make people feel welcome and comfortable, Battaglia explained.
Large glass windows flood the spacious structure with natural light. Heated floors in the restaurant and bar areas keep patrons toasty during the bitter winter months.
A steel ceiling filled with little holes and installed over a layer of insulation absorbs and softens noise levels, so patrons can converse in an easy and relaxed manner. An elegant fountain in the center of the restaurant is reminiscent of something one would expect to see in a stately Italian villa’s courtyard or a centuries-old town square.
Palazzo di Bocce’s crown jewels are its 10 indoor tournament-sized courts, each of which is 12 feet wide and 90 feet long. Over the last two decades, bocce players from the United States, Europe, South America and China have competed on them.
“Every player that visits says there’s nothing else like it. This is the best facility in the world,” Battaglia said.
Palazzo di Bocce regularly hosts and organizes a variety of national and international tournaments. It was during one of those tournaments, conducted by the U.S. Bocce Federation, that Battaglia achieved a personal best on the court. He earned a gold medal in the Men’s Volo Singles event at the U.S. Bocce National Championships in June 2005.
“I was a pretty competitive player,” he said.
Palazzo is also home to two of the bocce world’s greats – Jose Botto and Jason Wisniewski, both of whom are employed by Battaglia. Their prowess on the court has earned them countless medals and honors at the national and international levels.
Battaglia’s goal is to have Palazzo become a mecca for big-money tournaments He believes larger cash prizes will attract more players and in turn, grow the sport. “If the money is big enough, they’ll come from all over the world,” Battaglia said.
In addition to tournaments, Palazzo di Bocce frequently hosts a variety of social gatherings, celebrations, fundraisers and corporate outings.
“I don’t think you can name a company that hasn’t come here,” Battaglia noted. “Every major (automotive) supplier comes here.”
He said many firms prefer a bocce-based event to the traditional golf outing because it’s a much more inclusive activity.
“Not everybody has golf equipment or knows how to play. With bocce, they don’t have to own anything and they can learn to play here,” Battaglia explained. “With golf, four-person teams go out on the course all day, then everybody gets together at the end. With bocce, everybody stays together for the whole event – playing, watching, cheering. They spend more time together and get to know each other better.”
But bocce is only half the equation at Palazzo. The other component is the food. Battaglia is quite proud that his restaurant has been creating and serving delicious dishes since Day One.
“The food has to be consistent – that’s key,” he said. “We’re not gourmet. We’re basic. A basic Italian meal is as good as it gets as far as I’m concerned.”
Battaglia’s love of Italian food came from his Sicilian mother, Josephine.
“She cooked every night. We didn’t go out to eat,” he said. “She must have had 50 different recipes. Nothing was written down. It was all in her head. I appreciate good food because of my mother.”
The Sunday Sauce dish (or Pasta della Domenica) on Palazzo’s menu is based on her recipe. It consists of slowly braised short rib simmered in a robust tomato sauce, then tossed with rigatoni, peas and grated parmigiano.
“It’s the way she would have done it,” Battaglia said. “I’m a pasta guy. Growing up, every night, we had some sort of pasta with dinner. Pasta is probably my favorite meal. I’ll eat a dish of pasta before anything else.”
Battaglia gives much of the credit for the restaurant’s success to his hard-working staff, particularly his managers Rhonda Pritchard and Jason Wisniewski.
“We’ve been lucky. We’ve had a lot of good people,” he said. “Our customers know the staff. That’s an important thing. It’s good to know who the people are.”
He’s particularly proud of the way his staff continues to ensure the building is “impeccably” maintained.
“Most places after 20 years look like they’re ready to fall down, especially restaurants,” Battaglia said. “Not here. You can eat off my floors. They keep the place the way I want it.”
Battaglia is also very grateful to his wife of 47 years, Marcia, and daughter, Annette.
During the early years of his rise in the construction industry, Marcia provided Battaglia with the vital support and personal space he needed to establish and grow his business.
At the restaurant, Annette’s commitment to quality and attention to detail has made her an integral part of the thriving operation.
At the end of the day, Battaglia hopes the folks who visit Palazzo di Bocce to dine, drink and play a game or two always “feel welcome.”
“If you feel comfortable, like you would at home, and the food was good, that makes me happy,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of friends since this place opened and I like that part of it, too.”
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