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Milwaukee — Just as restaurants are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants face new challenges.
Inflation, labor shortages and supply chain issues are just a few of the obstacles creating uncertainty.
Gino Fazzari runs the Calderone Club and San Giorgio Pizzeria Napoletana in Milwaukee.
(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
His family has owned Italian restaurants in the Milwaukee area for over 60 years.
Despite the current economic challenges they face, Fazzari said they will not compromise on the quality of the food they serve.
“I think inflation is hitting all businesses, not just restaurants, but I would say it hits restaurants slightly more than most businesses,” Fazari said. I’m here.
(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
Fazzari is paying 30-50% more materials compared to last year.
He also constantly wonders if the ingredients will arrive on time due to ongoing supply chain issues.
However, Fazari said he refuses to reduce portion sizes or use cheaper ingredients.
(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Fazzari says he is loyal to his Italian pedigree and parents. They emigrated here from Italy before starting their business.
“My father and mother worked hard. They literally put on their shirts and came to this country to build these restaurants,” Fazzari said.
Post COVID, business is finally picking up. People are eating out again, and downtown events are boosting business.
However, it is difficult to secure human resources. Fazzari said he pays high wages for entry-level jobs.
(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
“People have left the industry, whether it’s because they want to work fewer weekends or because they don’t have the best working hours in the restaurant industry. I think they find it difficult to staff ,” he said.
Next to Calderone Club, Fazzari runs San Giorgio Pizzeria Napoletana.
Calderone Club specializes in authentic regional Italian cuisine, while San Giorgio specializes in Neapolitan-style pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven.
(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
San Giorgio is VPN certified. This is a designation that requires only certain ingredients to be used.
“We talked about: [price] Do you want more ingredients? Do you know how much the shipping costs for genuine Italian authentic products from Italy? It’s astronomical,” said Fazzari.
That’s the price he promised to pay to keep his craft tradition alive.
(Spectrum News 1/Wendy Strong)
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