'Devastated Beyond Words': PJ's Barito Pays Tribute To Beloved Server

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — A Port Jefferson business owner is paying tribute to his friend and employee, after she suddenly passed last week.

Matt Murray, owner of Barito Tacos & Cocktails, located at 201 Main St, told Patch that waitress Adrianna Giardina, 28, of Stony Brook, was "down to earth" and "so sweet."

She unexpectedly passed on Sunday, and leaves behind her 4-year-old son, Blake.

"Literally the night before, she was with us, working on Saturday night," Murray said. "So to get that call Sunday, it was obviously horrible and unexpected and not fair."

The business owner announced her death on the restaurant's social media on Tuesday:

"It is with the heaviest of hearts I have to announce the passing of a member of the Barito family @adrianna__giardina, Adrianna was such a special person, An amazing friend, employee, and most importantly an amazing mom," Murray said. "We are heartbroken and devastated beyond words."

The post received an overwhelming amount of attention, as both customers and strangers shared their condolences.

"It shows how much she was loved by even the random customer that didn't even know her, or just had her as a server one night and just didn't forget her," he said.

Murray told Patch he met Giardina about four years ago, when she began working at the restaurant.

She was the close friend of two other servers, and had previously worked at the former LI Pour House, where Toast Coffee + Kitchen is now located.

"She was suggested to me by another server that knew her at the time. And she just raved about how great of a person, and a great worker she was," Murray said. "Obviously, of course, all turned out to be true."

From her first day, Giardina fit in "so well." Murray described her as a hard worker, and someone who genuinely loved coming into work, whose "smile would just light up the room."

A "great listener", she became a trusted friend. Murray said he would personally share problems or ask advice because all knew she would "actually care."

Giardina had also recently gotten into baking, and would "always bring stuff" to work for the staff to try.

Barito opened in downtown Port Jefferson six years ago. Since she joined the team so early on, Murray said Giardina helped set the foundation of its work environment.

"She was a big part of making Barito feel more like a family than a job or a restaurant or bar," he said. "Which is why this is so devastating for everybody."

Murray told Patch he received the news on Sunday evening.

He immediately rushed to the restaurant and "cleared out whatever customers we had left" to share the devastating news with his staff. He also shared the message with employees who were not working at the time.

"As much as I personally didn't want to have to ever speak those words, I didn't want her work family to find out from a text or a stranger or a rumor," he said.

Murray closed the restaurant through Wednesday afternoon.

On Monday, the staff gathered together. Over pizza, they shared favorite memories of Giardina, grieving and consoling one another as a group.

The ages of his employees range from 16 to 30s, Murray said — all so young, to endure such a loss.

"It was really it was good to be together, but at the same time obviously really hard to see," he said.

They recalled Giardina's love for her dog, Sonny.

But the biggest thing everyone agreed on, Murray said, was how much Giardina loved her son.

Murray recalled multiple times when Giardina's mother and Blake would visit her while she was working, or Giardina brining Blake to say hello on a day off.

In addition to working at Barito three to four times a week, Giardina got at a job teaching five days a week at Blake's school, so she could help pay for tuition.

"She would have done anything for him," Murray said.

Services for Giardina will take place on Saturday at Moloney's Lake Funeral Home & Cremation Center, located at 132 Ronkonkoma Ave in Lake Ronkonkoma.

A memorial visitation will take place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and a prayer service will take place at 6:30 p.m., according to the funeral home website.