08/04/2026
Community Proud ❤️ Celebrating those who live and work among us. Brought to you by Charter Oak Federal Credit Union
Steven Sansone
IDK Hospitality 🍔
IDK.Westerly
Through Steven's work in and his commitment to serving others, Steven has built a career centered on relationships, trust, and creating experiences that make people feel genuinely welcome.
“For me, building relationships is an essential part of hospitality,” Steven said. “In restaurants, when guests come in, they’re present. You have the opportunity to welcome them, care for them, and create an they’ll remember. That’s where I found the magic.”
That philosophy ultimately led Steven to open IDK., a hospitality company built around , , and care. Instead of trying to offer everything to everyone, Steven believes in doing fewer things exceptionally well. Every decision is made with the goal of creating an experience guests will remember and want to enjoy again.
Steven hopes IDK. will become known above all else for . He wants guests to feel confident that the food, service, and atmosphere they enjoy today will be just as memorable years from now.
“Ten years from now, I hope someone takes a bite and says, ‘That’s exactly the burger I remember from ten years ago,’” he said. “To me, that’s trust.”
For Steven, trust begins before a guest walks through the door. When someone chooses to visit IDK., they are deciding to spend their time and money with the business. Steven and his team do not take that decision lightly. The greeting, ordering process, food, response to mistakes, and consistency of each visit all contribute to honoring the trust a guest has placed in them.
The greatest compliment, he believes, is not hearing that someone enjoyed a meal. It is hearing a guest ask, “Who am I bringing here next?” It is also seeing a longtime customer return and receive the same thoughtful experience that brought them through the door in the first place.
“At IDK., our commodity is food, but what we’re really selling and working earn is trust,” Steven said.
IDK.’s mission is to feed the individual, nourish the community, and build better tomorrows. Steven strives to make the business a grateful, responsible, and active community partner. His guiding belief is simple: there will always be a community without the business, but there could never be a business without the community.
That commitment also guides the causes Steven supports. He is drawn to organizations whose work improves the quality of life for people or animals. Whether helping individuals, strengthening the community, or advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves, Steven believes everyone shares a responsibility to leave life a little better than they found it.
Outside of work, Steven is inspired by discovery and experiences that broaden his perspective. He enjoys reading, painting, traveling, cooking, staying active, listening to music, viewing art, and spending unhurried time with Gabrielle, their dogs, family, and friends. He especially values the conversations and everyday experiences that offer an opportunity to learn something new.
Steven is grateful to the many mentors, family members, friends, teammates, guests, neighbors, and fellow business owners who have influenced his journey. He is quick to acknowledge that none of his accomplishments were achieved alone.
“I didn’t start alone, I’m not doing it alone, and I won’t continue alone,” he said.
By helping people feel seen, welcomed, and valued, Steven brings a deeply human quality to hospitality. His career is a reminder that memorable service is not only about what is placed on the table. It is about the care, trust, and connection created around it.
IDK Westerly
8 Industrial Drive
Westerly, RI
IDKHOSPITALITY.COM
Learn more about Steve and the pervious Community Proud recipients at:
mysticchamber.org/community-proud
