BETHESDA RESTAURANT EXPECTING TO SET A PROM RECORD FRIDAY NIGHT

Jimmy Traettino, "CEO of Everything" at Bethesda's Positano Ristorante, says he expects to set a restaurant record for total number of prom dinner guests this Friday evening. After 37 years of operation, Positano regularly hosts students dining out on their last big night of high school. But this year, the restaurant is expecting a group of around 100. "That's a record for anywhere!" Traettino said Wednesday, adding, "I don't think any restaurant can match that."

Positano's prom diners started off in groups of two or four in the restaurant's early years. By the 90s, that number had risen to 20-30 per prom night. Over the last few years, it's been around 30-40. So it's quite a jump this year, coinciding with Churchill's prom. Fortunately, the restaurant has the capacity to handle large groups, making it a popular choice for wedding receptions and bar/bat mitzvahs.

Traettino says that, as part of a local family whose members have graduated from Walt Whitman, Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Walter Johnson high schools, he loves hosting prom dinner guests, and giving them a white tablecloth Italian dining experience for an affordable price.

Positano Ristorante

4948 Fairmont Avenue

(301) 654-1717