Customer Milestones

Popping the Question

With advance notice, Greco’s Ristorante can help make “popping the question” more memorable for couples by being ready to snap photos at the pre-arranged moment that the proposer plans to drop to one knee! Helping customers capture these memories for life lays the foundation for a long-term relationship between Greco’s and their customers. When these moments are shared with the hundreds of followers on Greco’s Facebook, it also subtly reinforces Greco’s status as a “go to” destination for special occasions!

Carmalee Greco Kipnis, Owner Greco’s of Willow Springs Willow Springs, IL

Celebrating New Arrivals

For young families, few events are more emotionally meaningful than welcoming a new baby! To help celebrate, Garozzo’s Ristorante presents new parents with baby-sized shirts (6 months to 2T) with the restaurant’s logo on the front and “You are family at Garozzo’s” on the back. In turn, proud families often post photos of their little ones wearing the shirts on Garozzo’s Facebook page. In a few cases, some families have posted “update” pics of their now ten year olds holding their original Garozzo’s shirt to show how much they have grown!

Michael Garozzo, Owner Garozzo’s Ristorante Overland Park, KS

Tanti Auguri a Te

Today, most restaurants honor guest birthdays with a complimentary dessert. As a result, many guests now take these gestures for granted. To break the mold and make birthday celebrations once again memorable at his place, restaurateur Max Valle has upped the ante. In addition to providing the guest of honor with a special slice of tiramisu, everyone else at the table also receives a scoop of ice cream while the waiter serenades them with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” in Italian, Tanti Auguri a Te! Way to stand out from the crowd!

Max Valle, Owner Gumba’s Restaurant Sunnyvale, CA

Wood-Fired Dining al Fresco

With his namesake restaurant located in wooded upstate New York, Giovanni Mennella had enough space behind his building to create an attractive outdoor al fresco–style patio, complete with twin wood-fired ovens and ample seating. Then, during warm spring and summer weather, this backyard space transforms into a uniquely inviting extension of his dining room, where customers can enjoy Giovanni’s cooking (and freshly baked wood-fired pies) surrounded by market umbrellas and greenery-draped pergolas. There is even a fire pit in the middle where customers can pull up deck chairs and linger together after dinner. BRAVO!

Giovanni Mennella Giovanni’s Inn Wurtsboro, NY

Rooftop Dining with a View

Gio Cucina Napoletana is located on the second floor of a small shopping center in downtown Encino, CA, where the weather is mild year-round. Thanks to growing customer demand, owner Roberto Castellanos considered changing locations to accommodate more guests. But rather than moving to another location and risk losing regulars in the process, Roberto added decking to the undeveloped roof area adjacent to his restaurant. For a relatively small investment, Roberto quadrupled his available seating (and profit-generation) capacity. As a result, guests can now choose between cozy indoor seating or al fresco dining complete with a pleasing view!

Roberto Castellanos, Owner Gio Cucina Napoletana Encino, CA