Restaurant Revisited: Sapori D’Italia by Maria Russo in Shows, January 23rd, 2013
In addition to his expected mission of renovating the interior and designing a crowd-pleasing menu at Sapori D’Italia in Fountain Hills, Ariz., Robert Irvine faced the challenge of mending a broken family. Together with their sons David and Jonathan, owners Gasper and Maria Manno used to spend much of their time at the restaurant arguing, something that was downright disruptive to customers trying to enjoy a meal. After working with the family to discuss their issues with the restaurant and each other and spending $10,000 on renovations, Robert and his Restaurant: Impossible team reopened the doors to Sapori in only two days. Today, the restaurant is a comfortable eatery with a made-over menu of full-flavored Italian classics to match. Read on below for an exclusive interview with Gasper to find out how Sapori is doing today.
Immediately following filming, Sapori’s revenue shot up nearly $8,000 per week for the first three weeks. Things have settled down a bit since then, with the weekly increase averaging a respectable “$2,000 more than the same time last year,” according to Gasper.
Returning customers have been impressed with the changes at Sapori, and Gasper adds that there have been “lots of new faces” coming by for the first time.
Robert’s new menu items have been high sellers and well-received by customers. The restaurant has incorporated his cucumber salad, marinated beef and chicken osso buco into their regular list of offerings, but instead of serving the osso buco with polenta as Robert did, Gasper swapped in mushroom risotto.
While Gasper is still striving for perfection with his servers, he admits that they’re “not so bad” after all. Chan continues to work at Sapori and is “doing great,” according to Gasper. David and Jonathan are working at the restaurant, too, with David managing front-of-house operations. “Now they want to be here,” Gasper says of his sons. “The family is doing much better.”
To Gasper, one of the most important outcomes of the transformation has been “having my family back working together.” Maria, “works very hard,” Gasper notes, adding that as a couple, they “are doing much better” since the renovation. Customers, too, have noticed a change in the staff’s demeanor at Sapori, as Gasper notes, “The guests have told me many times that they are also very happy to see the whole family working together.”
To Robert and his Restaurant: Impossible crew, Gasper says, “A very sincere thank you to the entire team that showed me the light at the end of the tunnel.”
More From Restaurant Revisited:
Windseeker Restaurant (January 16)
Whiskey Creek Steakhouse (January 2)
Rising Sun Bistro (December 19)
Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Missouri (December 9)
Bronk’s Bar and Grill (December 5)
Rohrer’s Tavern (November 28)
Poco’s on the Boulevard (November 21)
Oleander Bar and Grill (October 17)
Valley Inn (October 10)
Whistle Stop (October 3)
The Maple Tree Cafe (September 26)
Michele’s (September 19)
Paliani’s Restaurant (September 12)
Frankie’s (September 5)
Gusanoz (August 29)
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More posts from Maria Russo.
I thought the original decor as Cheryl said – looked like a cave. It seemed to lack any sophistication and struck me as tacky. The new design with the hostess station maybe was a little more generic but seemed more welcoming and bright.
Those murals were beautiful and were reminiscent of a Tuscan village. The brickwork was beautiful as well. They tore down what wasn't old or bad- seemed wasteful. Should have given the couple a trip and cleaned the place up. Should have left restaurant alone. Just terrible!
Good luck to the family, I wish you the best. As for the renovation, I like the new pop of color and the rockwork was nice but that placed needed a change and that was it.
Finally! Someone with taste who understands that, although the stone was nice, a change was needed.
I think the new décor looks great! I'm glad the family and restaurant are doing well.
I liked the way they made the main mural a focal point with the frame. Loved the colors, but did like the stone on the bar. The family is quite emotional, as most Italians are ( Io sono Italiana!), and some weeping just from the pressure being lifted from the family is to be expected. I would like to see before and after pics on this site. I missed the last few minutes :-/
Bless my DVR on DirecTV! I always set the ending for 10 minutes later, because here on the east coast, a one-hour show consists of 45 minutes of TV and 25 minutes of commercials!
I did like the paintings and the stone bar in the "before" (but I am a huge fan of stone), however, I did like how the restaurant turned out. I especially liked the hostess area. The crying was not excessive to me as these people were really having problems and it was tearing them apart. I am glad that they are doing better because they seemed like nice people.
I can't believe they took out that nice stone bar the place looked cold and very uninviting after the renovation. I did like the way the wife had a look of disgust on her face when her husband and two grown sons kept crying I can tell she is the strong one in that family what wimps
What are you, like 12?
LOL @ Abby….whats wrong with showing emotions??
Italians are very passionate people and to call them "wimps" because they are emotionally overwrought makes you a pretty poor judge of character. Maybe you shouldn't comment if you can't imagine what it must have been like for this family.
Good for that family they needed it and pray they make it. Good people and Robert has a good show doing great things. For all the negative comments you guys are classless 2nd stringers who live your life through others because you don't have one!
I love this show,have been a fan forever, and have no problems regarding folks letting their guard down while going through something this trying. I found it a shame that the designers painted over most of the murals, and they were gorgeous, but they left a lovely one "framed" and idyllic.
Thrilled for the family,and wish them continued rejuvenation & success regardless of how much blood, sweat, paint, sauce/gravy, and tears!!!
This episode was great! They really needed an outside person to tackle their relationship problems and tell them that their food obviouslly tasted lousy!. However, we did think it was horrible to see all that beautiful stone and hand painted murals removed! I hope this restaurant and family succeed!
It's Fountain Hills and not Forest Hills.