Joey Leccese, the mastermind behind a growing number of Italian eateries in Upstate South Carolina joins the podcast this week to talk about his creation: Belladina's. Joey shares how he's mixing his family's rich Italian legacy with bold new-school flair to build a pizza empire. At Belladina's you'll find both fresh ingredients and fresh artwork, in meticulously thought-out spaces Joey has designed from scratch with his father Pat. To Joey, his restaurants aren't just about food, they're gathering places where he can invite the community in like family to enjoy big, messy, and of course, authentic Italian meals.
Belladina's is currently hosting an offering on the Vicinity platform. You can find their campaign page here: https://marketplace.vicinitycapital.com/offers/PreviewOffers/MjE2OA==
4:33 - Start with a focal point - Joey & Potito’s creative process & approach for creating new restaurants.
5:38 - When Joey made the switch into restaurants full time.
6:16 - Marrying old school with new school & creating something new from established elements.
7:34 - Why Joey decided to sell the Greer location and open the Belladina’s restaurants.
9:15 - What Joey attributes the success of the Washington st location to and where his passion lies.
10:39 - Customers coming from all over.
11:30 - Seeing other restaurants have artwork done too.
12:58 - Why this location & concept?
17:15 - Where does Joey’s confidence in starting a new business come from?
18:15 - Joey’s plan for the future.
21:05 - Why Joey wanted to raise money from his community and how it’s impacted his connection to his customers.