Meet Great Neighbor John Ursini
By: Andrea Fine
There are people who are always looking for ways to help others. They have a can-do attitude and pay it forward. John Ursini is one of those people. Whether it’s catering a UCLA sporting event, a neighborhood swim meet, or sponsoring a little league team, John is there to lend a hand. John was born in Chicago in 1964. He is the oldest of three. His parents, Karen and Fran were grammar school sweethearts. In 1965 the young family moved to Costa Mesa. The same year, John’s Grandpa Nick went out to buy some fish at “The Doryman.” While there, he struck up a conversation with the owner of a hamburger stand on 22nd and Oceanfront. Following the outing, Grandpa Nick headed home to Whittier to tell the family, “We are now in the restaurant business, and I forgot the fish!”
John fondly recalls childhood memories of riding bikes at the beach with his brother, sister, and their friends. They loved getting free ice cream at the family’s restaurant, The Surfer on 22nd. In 1982 John graduated from Estancia High School, where he was a standout soccer player. He went on to receive his degree in Communications and Psychology from UCLA in 1986.
Following graduation, John worked in sales for Gallo Wine. During that time, he met Kathy Von Massenhausen. She was the roommate of a colleague. John and Kathy started dating and were married in March 1991. Following the wedding, John was missing his first love, soccer, so he returned to Estancia as their coach. Among the restaurants the family now owned was Newport Rib Company. They opened the original location in 1984. John thought, “I’ll coach soccer and work at Rib Co. for a few years. That was 33 years ago." He coached for two years before realizing that coaching and running restaurants was too much. In 1996, John and Kathy welcomed daughter Allie, and in 1999, twins Nicholas and Angelo completed their family. That same year Newport Rib Co. moved from its original location on Newport Blvd. to a bigger venue (its current location) on Harbor and Wilson. Newport Rib Company sells more than 3,000 racks of ribs each month, and while ribs are still their most popular menu item, John says that tri-tip is gaining on them.
For John, one of the most rewarding experiences of running a restaurant is the opportunity to instill a solid work ethic in the next generation. He stresses that they are a team and that every position in the restaurant, whether a dishwasher, server, or manager, is as important as the other. His parents are big proponents of supporting the community. He says, “They instilled that in all of us (their three children).” Each year Newport Rib supports a local Little League team. Rib-Co has also received numerous city awards and honors, having been named Costa Mesa Business of the Year, and received the Mayor’s Award, and the Ursinis have been named Family of the Year. John still loves sports and spent four years, 2018-2022, as president of the Orange County Sports Foundation. He tries to live by John Wooden’s motto, “Things work out best for those that make the best of the way things work out.”
Stay tuned: Newport Rib, Company will be celebrating its 40th year of business in early 2024. They will be giving back to the community with 20 days of charity.
Local Love
“I’ve known John since our high school days at Estancia. John has always been a natural leader from the soccer field at Estancia, at UCLA, and now in our community. He’s a familiar face that everyone looks up to, including me. He is a true role model. Heap Good!” - Jon Johnston
“John is such an integral part of our community. He never says ‘no’ when organizations or groups ask him for help. He gives of his time so generously and to so many causes. He is the definition of community-minded. And he does it all with a smile!” Kathleen and Kelly Kay
