A young Calabrian entrepreneur redefines his path shaping his own ending – By N. Yakova
In recent years, Italian entrepreneurship has been severely damaged. The pandemic has dealt the final blow. Not only small businesses but also established businesses have been hit. Many have had to close their doors. There are few or no concrete initiatives for young people who find themselves disheartened when, looking to the near future, only question marks appear. Resilience only leads to passive slavery. Resistance is in fact a possibility. This is demonstrated by the story we tell in this article and which has as its protagonist a young entrepreneur who, aware of not being a metal, declines resilience, resisting and persevering in the pursuit of a dream that with a thousand efforts he has managed to realize.
A tenacious entrepreneur
Antonio La Torre is a young entrepreneur from Tropea, who comes from a family of workers in the restaurant and hospitality industry. We interviewed him and found his story quite inspiring. Antonio is a brilliant and sociable guy. Last spring, in Santa Domenica, he opened a new restaurant, a place that you will fall in love with, since the first moment. Indeed in just a few months it has reached the crest of the wave! Kindness and spontaneous empathy come from Antonio’s interest in human beings. He manages to put anyone who sits at his table at ease. Even though he is very young, he is a veteran of hospitality. He started at 14 working in his uncles’ restaurant. It was a tough experience for a teenager but formative.
A.L.T.: “It wasn’t easy at all. Unlike kids today who hang out like adult people, go to the disco… At the time, if you weren’t 20 you didn’t leave the house alone! Therefore, since I was still a child, I was inexperienced and often embarrassed, so much so that after the third scolding, I went home and told my father that I didn’t want to go there anymore. My father insisted that I continue. Today I thank him because he taught me not to give up in the face of difficulties.”
He divided his time between school and work at the restaurant. Slowly he became passionate about what he did. He began to feel involved and, from a simple plate carrier, he gradually followed every step of the job. He took orders, opened and decanted the wines, had them tasted… And he learned to know and relate to the customers. As soon as he was eighteen, after high school, he chose to undertake the path of work.
A.L.T.: “After school I chose to continue working. If I had attended university I would certainly have studied psychology. I like trying to understand people!”
After finishing his studies he enrolled in a course for lifeguards. In the evening he worked as a waiter and in the morning he followed the course and did swimming practices. He took the lifeguard license and, immediately after, found a job in one of the major hotels in Tropea: the Rocca Nettuno.
A.L.T.: “I remember the first day. I was afraid that the job wasn’t for me – I quit and open my own restaurant! – I thought. But 10 years passed from that thought. After all, I was very young and I had found my dimension. I was independent and I earned good money, which allowed me to buy a car, to travel… I was satisfied even though I wasn’t doing what I really liked to do. There’s nothing to say, being a lifeguard is a more than decent job, with responsibilities and excellent pay. However, I couldn’t give up my secret dream.”
A missed opportunity
The new job allowed him to enrich his experience, acquire new skills and continue to deal with people. He learned English and German and, also, taking care of maintenance related to the internal and external tanks, improved his manual skills.
In 2019, the Agency for Territorial Cohesion announced the initiative “Resto al Sud” (I Stay in the South) allocating funds for young people who intended to stay in the south and invest in their territory. An initiative for young entrepreneurs in the South, and in the areas of Central Italy hit by the earthquakes of 2016 and 2017. Antonio was ready, he felt that it was time for the big step. He prepared himself and also signed up for a pizza making course after which he took the exam to obtain the funding.
A.L.T.: “I don’t know how I came up with the idea of becoming a pizza maker but for the first time in my life I said to myself – go for it! – So I became a pizza maker and I discovered that I like it. However, I didn’t get the funding.”
The lack of funding was a bitter pill to swallow for him who had thrown himself into it with such enthusiasm, trusting in a possible turning point. Even though he was very disappointed, Antonio was not willing to give up his dream and tormented himself to find a way to make it happen. He was offered a partnership in the opening of a new restaurant and he accepted. His work was highly appreciated and the restaurant was booming, even managing to overcome the difficulties due to the pandemic. From April to December he worked like crazy, churning out an infinite number of steaming pizzas every night! However, at a certain point, some disagreements led to the interruption of the partnership Antonio found himself catapulted into the abyss of nothingness. Time, work and money invested in something that was now over. What could he do?
A.L.T.: “At this point I had to decide whether to stay or go work abroad. Thinking about what my father taught me and the sacrifices that he and my mother always made for us. I thought that the right thing to do was to stay and not run away!”
Starting over again
If you think about what is convenient, in Italy it is crazy to give up tempting job offers abroad or on cruise ships. Antonio chose the arduous path. He preferred to build his future in his homeland, so he stayed in Calabria. In that period Davide, his youngest brother, got a job in Padova and moved there to work, love brought his other brother, Marco, to Lodi.
A.L.T.: “My parents taught us the value of family. Suddenly they found themselves alone, without even moral support. The lack of my brothers was strong… This also made me think about wanting to stay. On the cruise ship I would have earned a lot of money but I always put family first. Then I spoke to my parents and told them – If you support me I will stay here and I know I can do it! – They were happy about this. Having a family that supports you… And puts up with you (he smiles ed.) is important.”
Antonio’s zodiac sign is Capricorn and according to astrology, those born under this sign are reliable, they take on their responsibilities and take care of those around them. Perfect profile and we agree. The dream wanted to come out of the drawer and began to take shape when Antonio took over an old rotisserie in the center of Santa Domenica to start his own business, for a new season, with the help of his parents.
Finally in March 2024 Rewind opened a restaurant and pizzeria featuring a pleasant atmosphere, attentive service and very tasty food! He is the pizzaiolo (pizzamaker), his uncle Pasquale is the chef. Anna, his mother, helps in the kitchen. In the dining room there is Sonia, a sweet Venezuelan, always smiling, kind and attentive. Then there is dad Pino, who helps where and when needed.
A.L.T.: “We had the inauguration on March 13th. I make pizzas. I was already known in the area it would have been stupid to change. People know and appreciate my pizza so many customers come to visit me and eat here. This is the greatest satisfaction for me. It’s the second time, in my life, that I took the plunge and I’m happy I did it. We had a busy season and, you know, the first year is always hard, especially when you are in a place like Santa Domenica, that doesn’t have the same tourism as Tropea, and you have to make yourself known. People have to come here on purpose. Besides, I’m not the only one with this type of business so if you see that the restaurant is always full then it means I’ve done something good!”
The realization of a dream as a strong identity project
Suitable for everyone, Rewind is welcoming for families, romantic for couples, very pleasant for those who dine by themselves and cool for friends who hang out for a drink or an aperitif. The aperitif is supersonic, accompanied by fantasies of delights that have the authentic flavor of Calabria. The pizzas are addictive! They are long leavened and cooked on the brick. You have to try them all, from the classic to the more elaborate ones. The restaurant offers typical dishes prepared with local ingredients. All the dishes, both meat and fish, are abundant and tasty. The location is rustic in style. The internal room is welcoming and well-kept, and there is a spacious patio where the scent of the sea, which is not far away, teases you and you can perceive that of flowers all around. At Rewind it is spring even in December and some evenings are enriched by cool events and live music.
A.L.T.: “We made some changes of the place. We have put the oven on display and opened up the room by eliminating a divider. Here we all know each other and it’s nice that, when people pass by, they stop to chat, to have a coffee… For me, sociability and the sense of family are very important so when people cross that threshold they must feel at home, just like family!”
Everything Antonio does has a meaning, a precise motivation determined by his experience and his way of being, starting with the name of the restaurant. As a die-hard fan of Vasco Rossi, the young entrepreneur has called his business with the title of a song by the Italian singer-songwriter: Rewind, a tribute to the artist whose poetry has accompanied him since he was a child. In fact, before taking the dream out of the drawer, Antonio rewound his experience, in career and private life, proposing to himself to create something valuable and continuous. The new restaurant started off on the right foot thanks first of all to the fame that he had already achieved when he worked elsewhere. Word of mouth was decisive, almost more than social media. Even today the “Fama“, giant winged monster, continues to “spread the voices making infinite mouths resonate…”
To crown this dream, the icing on the cake! A few months ago, his brother Davide from Padova got a transfer to Tropea so he joins the family at the restaurant, every night. Together they are a great team, almost complete. Who knows, one day Marco might also return to take part of it! Some time has passed since Antonio worked in his uncles’ restaurant. The experiences he has had in recent years have tempered him, made him evolve both professionally and privately and he can consider himself satisfied with his inner and professional growth. Today Antonio is filled with a new energy, a positive energy that he manages to transmit to those around him. The goals to be achieved always seem bigger, they seem heavy, but if you resist, roll up your sleeves and take on all the responsibilities you can really make your dream come true and live a fairy tale!
The goals to achieve always seem bigger, they seem heavy, but if you resist, roll up your sleeves and take on all the responsibilities you can really make your dream come true and live a fairy tale!
Rewind Restaurant & Pizzeria
Via Roma 115, 89866, Santa domenica di Ricadi (VV) ITALY
info and reservations +39 388 5631742
