Family Ties Behind New Main Line Restaurant

The masterminds behind the black-and-white stripes of 3-month-young restaurant 30 Main are in fact working as a family team. 

Father and son, Matthew and Michael DiDomenico, opened the city-style restaurant in April and continue to develop the project together. As they undertake new events like disco brunch and a Saturday Night Fever-esque restaurant reunion, all aspects comprise individual tastes of the family.

On what inspired the restaurant, Michael DiDomenico said "my desire and my mother's attention to detail with cooking, and my father's attention to detail period. I wanted to drive a concept."

One of the two owners is often on site, said general manager Katie Burnside. Another of Matthew DiDomenico's four sons, and his wife Dory, the inspiration behind entree Dory's Chicken, are also often in-house. 

A 40-year Waynite originally from Philadelphia, Matthew DiDomenico said that his son emphasized the plunge into the restaurant industry.

“Candidly, I never really wanted to be in the restaurant business, but my youngest son convinced me that there was an opportunity here and that he had a concept and plan unique to this area,” he said.

Aside from his job at the restaurant, Matthew DiDomenico owns Re Max Advisors in Devon. He has been in the real estate business for more than 30 years, overseeing many restaurant business deals along the way. He has also been involved in the Berwyn Devon Business and Professional Association.

Michael DiDomenico, who is 37 and an experienced urban restaurant connoisseur, echoed his proposal-turned-reality.

“Basically, I told my mom to give him a hard time until he did it,” he said. “This is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I saw an opportunity to fill a void that I see at my age.”

“The night life dies down for those over 30 past 9 p.m. I saw a need for something upscale, but a little bit more than just food.”

Michael attended college in Florida, worked in the event business in Miami and spent time in the entertainment scene of major cities, including Miami, New York and Los Angeles. His experiences drove him to cultivate the all-inclusive scene at 30 Main, encouraging date nights, girls’ night outs and family dinners.

Like his father, Michael DiDomenico also has experience in the real estate business. Earlier in his teen years, he also gained knowledge of the restaurant industry by working as a line cook at Wayne restaurants Primavera, Pie in the Sky and Bertucci’s.

“In the first three months, we’ve worked through a lot of the glitches that we’ll go through,” Matthew said. “We want Berwyn to be the destination.”