They ran York County businesses for decades. Their legacies continue to serve.

It isn’t unthinkable, either man’s business could have led to the other’s a time or two.

Maybe someone wanted to look nice, pressed and collared, for a good meal out with friends. Maybe that good meal left a sauce stain, and back and forth the cycle went. Two men impacting their communities a meal or a cleaned garment at a time.

Bob Cullen, long-time owner of The Cleaners in Fort Mill and Tega Cay, died March 27. A day after Giuseppe “Joe” Randazzo, owner of several York County restaurants the past few decades. Cullen was 76, Randazzo 65.

Al Steele ate at and enjoyed Randazzo’s restaurants over the years, but was closer with Cullen. The two helped start Fort Mill Rotary Club and other groups.

“I served on more than one board of directors with Bob,” Steele said. “He was one of those business leaders who gave back to his community.”

Steele and Cullen had a seemingly one-sided business arrangement when Steele still owned Fort Mill Ford. Steele sent all his dry cleaning to Cullen. Cullen, a Mustang enthusiast, got all his sports cars from Steele. Though the costs or a pressed shirt isn’t anywhere near that of a Mustang, Steele points out he brought business to Cullen every week or two but only sold his friend a car every few years.

“It was the principal of the thing,” Steele said.

Steele said Cullen was one of the earliest Tega Cay residents and “he helped shape that city into what it is today.” Having Cleaners locations in Fort Mill and Tega Cay was no accident.

“The key to success in our community before all the people got here was, you had to be able to do business on both sides of the interstate,” Steele said. “Bob figured that out.”

Along with The Cleaners, Cullen owned East Shore Commerce Storage. In 2001 he was named Business Man of the Year in Tega Cay. He served on YMCA boards in Fort Mill and Rock Hill, was a Melvin Jones Award recipient with the Tega Cay Lions Club and served on that city’s planning commission.

All about the food

For Randazzo, serving his community was all about the food. Born in Italy, Randazzo was the oldest of five siblings in a family that arrived in New York City in 1969. Randazzo worked in restaurants alongside his father for more than 40 years. The Randazzo family — including Joe and his siblings — operated numerous restaurants in York County from multiple Tony’s locations to two former Papa Pino’s to Village Pizza.

Randazzo and family helped save two Lake Wylie-area restaurants. Once iconic eateries on either side of Buster Boyd Bridge, River Rat in Lake Wylie and The Grid Iron in Steele Creek, were a couple owners past their heyday when Randazzo arrived. Grid Iron became The Randazzos’ Grid Iron and has remained under single ownership longer than it had since its founding group.

Randazzo said several years back he wanted to keep the name to build on the good reputation built up in the community, rather than trying to replace it. He took the same approach with River Rat. That restaurant was in transition after years as a Lake Wylie staple. Peg Stoklas recently came on board to help plan events at the restaurant. Stoklas said it hasn’t been easy at the restaurant without Randazzo.

River Rat started the process in recent months of coming up with a new name, to better reflect the menu and service there. Stoklas said they aren’t ready to reveal the new name just yet, but it received the owner’s approval.

“He chose the name before he passed away,” she said.

Both men leave legacies of service, and harken to an earlier time of strong business leaders who helped make the Fort Mill, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie areas what they quickly are becoming. The sense of community they formed continues to ripple.

“There's a number of things that have made Fort Mill attractive to people, and the people are what's making the growth come now,” Steele said.

This story was originally published April 3, 2017 at 1:33 PM with the headline "They ran York County businesses for decades. Their legacies continue to serve.."