The Viking Valhalla staff-seated-left to right-Tom and Chris Sardou/owners and Carl Fedele/cook. Back-left to right-Kenneth Stasiw/dishwasher, Chris Leone/prep/dishwasher and cook, Harris Rusmire/cook, and Louis Walker/bartender.
The Viking Valhalla Restaurant at the Rose Garden Bowl is celebrating 70 years in business.
On Saturday afternoon, Tom and Chris Sardou held a celebration/get together for their longtime customers, friends and employees, complete with a buffet which included the Sardou famous coleslaw, a secret recipe Tom learned how to make after watching his father make it.
Tom says the restaurant/bowling center is his heart and soul. In 2009, they were chosen as Business of the Year by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. Chris has been working with Tom at the Restaurant for the past 40 years.
“I open the place every day and I close the place every night. Thats how it is, you just work, make sure everyone is happy, make sure the place is nice and clean for everyone to come in and enjoy. Always clean bathrooms, clean kitchen, clean everything. We make sure it’s very nice to be here,” says Tom.
Tom and Chris Sardou with 59-year customers Fred and Cathy Hunt at their “usual” Friday night table. The couple went on their first date at the Viking Valhalla Restaurant in 1965. They were married in 1967. Since they have been married, the couple go out to eat at the Viking Valhalla every Friday night. They have permanent standing reservations.
The bowling center receives many compliments and high marks as well.
“The lanes were built in 1957, we just had them inspected for the USBC, for the leagues and out of a 100, I scored 99.3. They’re wood lanes but they’re beautiful looking wood lanes and they are in very great shape.”
Bowling leagues will begin in early September.
The Sardou’s say the reason for their success over the years is because of their staff, who at one time was up to 16 people but is now down to about 10 staffers with Tom and Chris picking up extra hours
“We have some fantastic staff that has been with us for over 30 years,” says Chris.
“Two of our cooks, one has been with us for 33 years and the other 36 years, and with Tom in the kitchen the three of them is a consistent meal every time. For a restaurant it speaks volumes. They’re family too.”
For the month of September to help celebrate 70 years there will be gift basket raffles and specials for customers.
“They are no cost raffles, you come in you have dinner you get a raffle ticket and put your name in the drawing.”
Background history of the Viking Valhalla at the Rose Garden Bowl
In September of 1954, Pierson “Doc” and Mary Sardou purchased the restaurant from Hazel and Ernie Leyson, who were the original owners of the restaurant located at 21 Buffalo Road in Bergen since 1924. Upon purchasing the restaurant, Pierson and Mary renamed the restaurant the Viking Valhalla Restaurant after the theme, the inside includes a Viking ship in the main dining room. After purchasing the roadside restaurant, the Sardou family moved to Bergen from East Rochester with their one-year-old son Tom. A few years later they had a second son, George. In 1957, the hard-working couple added a brand new eight lane bowling center, adding to the name, The Viking Valhalla Restaurant at the Rose Garden Bowl. It didn’t take long for bowling leagues to form and help the restaurant grow.
In 1967, Pierson passed away and Tom Sardou, then 13 years old, took over for his dad at the restaurant and bowling lanes, helping his mother Mary run the business. Tom cooked dinners ran the bowling leagues and learned to fix the bowling machines. Tom’s younger brother George,10, helped bus tables, wash dishes and with short order cooking.
For the past 35 years, Tom, Mary and Chris, Tom’s wife, worked together keeping up the family business. In 2019, Mary passed away. Tom and Chris have continued on honoring the legacy of Tom’s parents.
