The first Rosie's was in a building on Sylvania Avenue, owned by Phil's father, the late John Joseph Barone. The Barone patriarch was a lawyer and real estate developer who rose from the cleaning crew at Ohio State University to sit on its board of trustees. He owned the building in which his young sons Phil, John, and Mike opened a deli with an adjoining game arcade. "Mom came in to help out with her pinch of this and dash of that. Probably the hardest part was translating her recipes, but it was worth it" said Phil.