Opening the door to Don’s Original is like being transported to another time and place. Friendly faces behind the counter welcome you as the nostalgia hits; old-fashioned candy and a wall covered in photographs pay homage to the original owners.
Eighty-one years ago, Donald Barbato and Robert Pearl started a roadside hot dog stand named Don & Bob’s. Dubbed “hot dog row,” there were multiple stands set up outside Seabreeze Amusement Park. With trains running across the top of the hill, the area was known as the Coney Island of Upstate New York.
In 1953, Barbato and his wife, Anne, took ownership. The business expanded, subsequent locations were sold, and in 1973 the first location was renamed Don’s Original. After a 1982 fire destroyed everything, Don’s was rebuilt and in 1986 was purchased by Terry Klee, Barbato’s former busboy turned apprentice.
Alayna Alderman had worked at the Record Archive for forty years when Klee decided to retire in 2024. Alderman’s neighbor Francine Beth, the owner of Marge’s Lakeside Inn, convinced her to take the leap. “I didn’t buy a restaurant,” says Alderman. “I bought an institution with a very loyal clientele.”
Born and raised in the Nineteenth Ward, Alderman graduated from the Aquinas Institute of Rochester, unsure of her next steps. Her sister decided to leave her record store gig in 1985 and said, “Alayna, why don’t you just take my job?” Alderman sat on the front steps of the Record Archive until the manager came out to tell her they weren’t open yet. She told him she worked there now, he opened the door, and that was it.
Years later, she had created a position for herself that included reporting to Billboard magazine and touring the country for trade and music events as well as designing the popular Backroom Lounge. “I carved my own path,” she says. “I love the music industry. I’ve served on the store’s board of directors, traveled, even partied with rock stars.”
The people she met along the way have followed Alderman in her new venture. She started live-music Wednesdays and dreams of summer concerts on the rooftop overlooking the bay. “I’m in an industry that’s a generation bridge builder, bringing people together,” she says. “Food, music, friendship.”
Alderman repainted the patio a bright turquoise and moved the ice cream window to keep the long lines from obstructing the entrance. Inside, she removed a wall and hard booths to make room for comfortable seating and better access for wheelchairs and walkers. A point-of-sale system and handheld devices were instituted for efficiency.
If Alderman won the lottery tomorrow, she says she would move the bathrooms and add rooftop seating. That’s where her husband, Reo, comes in. “Wherever she points,” he jokes. Known as Mr. Fixit, he’s always working behind the scenes at Don’s.
“That original Don’s sign—it will always be there,” says Alderman. While she wants to introduce new concepts, it’s important to her that the recipes, techniques, and even the Pyrex remain the same. “The ground round is scooped and flattened the same way it’s been done for 80 years. I would never think of changing it.”
But it’s not just burgers and hots on the menu anymore. “We’ve got steak and delicious homemade soups that are made on premise every day,” says Alderman. She’s added beer and wine to the menu as well as introducing merchandise, including a delicious Don’s Original hot sauce, homemade and jarred for the restaurant by Paul Guglielmo.
One of the biggest challenges Alderman faces is the fact that Don’s Original is open seven days a week year-round, despite its perception as a seasonal business. The crowds may be huge during summer, but sales drop off dramatically in September. That’s when her creativity shines.
“There is a lot more to this place,” Alderman says. She loves transforming the restaurant for events, including a four-course fine wine celebrity chef takeover night, serving everything from braised short ribs to salmon, with wine pairings for each course.
“So I’m having fun putting my spin on it while still trying to keep it very much rooted in history. I want to make sure that everybody remembers how great those grounds are, and they’re still just as delicious if not better tasting than ever.”
DiPaolo’s fresh bread and Zweigle’s hots have both been on the menu since the beginning and are an important piece of the history here in Rochester and at Don’s Original. You’ll also find fun kids’ meals and freshly made custard. Donovan Pacheco, who works the custard window, is always coming up with new ideas for flavors.
“I love the team here,” says Alderman. “A really loyal, dedicated crew, and they have been very receptive to all the new stuff I’m throwing at them. I like to get them involved with the menu.” She calls general manager Ciarra Robertson the “secret sauce,” adding that Robertson reminds her of a younger version of herself.
“Since Alayna has taken over,” says Robertson, “we’ve become more team-oriented. She’s given us the tools to be successful and let us all have our own vision. Patty has her own sandwich, I have potatoes that are named after me, David does his pizzas on Wednesday night. Being here for sixteen years, there was a time where I just came in and did a job. Now I feel like I can dream big.”
People come from all over the country to visit the iconic establishment, and many former Rochesterians, including Abby Wambach, make Don’s their first stop when they return. Alderman says, “It’s about the people you meet along the way, and every person’s got a story.”
Like all of Don’s loyal customers, Alderman has a favorite order. “It’s got to be a cheeseburger and fries on a DiPaolo’s hard roll with a side of gravy,” she says, adding, “It’s a toss-up because the onion rings are so good too!” Those “Colossal Onions” are hand sliced, hand battered, and enormous.
She loves the Irondequoit location, pointing out that more than a dozen businesses exist on the strip, and all are woman owned. “We call it ‘She-Breeze.’” Alderman and her fellow business owners meet regularly to collaborate through shared promotions and events. “There’s a lot of opportunity here. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
There are very few restaurants that can say they have not only been in business for eighty-one years but are still thriving after all this time. Alderman invites everyone to come and experience Don’s Original in person, whether it’s for a cup of coffee and dessert, a glass of wine with friends, or a big meal with the whole family.
“Music and food are universal languages,” Alderman says as Frank Sinatra croons over the speakers behind us and the regulars start to file in. “We bring people together.”
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2026 issue of (585).
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