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Sharing Success: New Year’s Resolutions

All of us in the Stanislaus Foods family hope that your holidays were as meaningful as ours. Like most folks, we stayed close to home and did our best to celebrate with distant loved ones in a remote fashion.

It is often customary to wish others a “Happy New Year.” Given the sobering events of 2020 and the continuing impact of COVID-19, “happy” doesn’t seem appropriate. So instead, let me wish you and yours another traditional Italian greeting – Prospero Anno Nuovo – which translates to May your New Year be more prosperous!

 

Yours.

Tom Cortopassi,
President and Co-Owner

SUCCESS STORY: Angelo’s Civita Farnese, Providence, RI

Located in the legendary Italian-American enclave of Federal Hill, Angelo’s Civita Farnese has satisfied Providence, RI, locals with flavorful homestyle Italian food, lovingly prepared, for ninety six years.

Angelo’s has always embraced tradition, from its carefully preserved décor to its consistently unchanging menu. But then COVID-19 lockdowns closed the dining room and pushed fourth-generation owner Jamie Antignano and her family to seek creative new ways to boost sales and profitability.

BUSINESS BUILDERS: BOOSTING SALES
All-Weather Shelters

Where outdoor dining has been permitted, resourceful restaurateurs have beat inclement weather by creating attractive dining shelters featuring heat, greenery, and often twinkly lights! Beyond traditional catering tents, special structures include mini-greenhouses and even storage “PODS” remodeled into “dining villas!”

Pizzaiolo Woodfired Pizza
Oakland, CA


Key idea: truly touchless takeout

Located in Estes Park, CO, Antonio’s Real New York Pizza has satisfied locals and seasonal visitors for two decades. Pre-COVID, more than half the restaurant’s revenue came from its 200 seat dining room.

But when the first COVID cases appeared in the US, owner Anthony DeSousa decided to voluntarily close his dining room and begin operating on a 100% touchless takeout basis. His wife, Tracey, a critical care nurse, had explained that respiratory viruses like COVID-19 spread fastest wherever large groups “share air.” Since they couldn’t isolate their kitchen crew from their often-crowded dining room, the DeSousas chose instead to seal off the entire restaurant to non-employees.