Dino’s Restaurant may be new to Solon, but it has been serving up Italian-American fare for more than 50 years at its Willoughby, Willowick and Mentor locations.    Originally started by the Tibaldi family in the 1960s, Dino’s is still family-owned and operated by brothers Pete and John Tibaldi, along with Tony Dobbert, co-owner and manager of the Solon spot.  Inside this multi-level eatery, you won’t find red-checkered tablecloths, Chianti bottles dripping with candle wax, or ropes of garlic hanging on the walls.  The décor is plain and simple; the food does all of the “talking.”  “Our focus…

Ricardo Leon started where many restaurateurs do: washing dishes and busing tables. He eventually moved into the kitchen, but that wasn't his biggest move by far. Leon, now owner of Senorita Bonitas in Solon, grew up in far away Guadalajara, Mexico, the son of restaurateur parents. He took a big leap by moving to Wilmington, N.C., where he cut his teeth in the restaurant business. Wilmington was a turning point in his life, Leon says. There he learned the importance of teamwork -- how a good team in the kitchen can mesh with a good team in the front of the house. But the coastal weather could…

Salon Alvarez by Markfrank is coming up on its one-year anniversary this June at Solon Square Shopping Center, but they are definitely not newcomers to the salon business.  John and Tony Alvarez are co-owners of the full-service salon, which is connected to the family-owned MarkFrank beauty salon started by their father, Frank Alvarez, nearly 60 years ago in University Heights.  Their services include haircuts, styling, color, and permanents to women, men and children.  The technicians also offer manicure, pedicure and waxing services to their customers.  While some may believe that the hair …

This is the first edition of Work Week, an occasional series profiling local businesses and the owners and employees who make them tick. Got a good idea for a business profile? Tell us in the comments below or send the editor an e-mail at chrism@patch.com. When Maria Dubnicka’s position as an insurance underwriter was eliminated due to the recession, she wondered what to do next. Dubnicka had witnessed first hand the challenges her own aging parents and in-laws faced in relation to health care services and maintaining the greatest degree of independence and dignity possible in their …