Cibo Homemade Pasta and Grille
Tony Suglia fondly remembers the home-cooked meals his aunt made for his family back in Napoli, Italy—particularly the cavatelli, small pasta shells that resemble miniature hot-dog buns. Nowhere in northeast Ohio could he find a meal that replicated those he enjoyed in his home country.
A Family Affair
Suglia moved to the U.S. as a teenager, and he carried with him a love for authentic Italian food. His five daughters love the Chipoltle way of eating fast and fresh. So he got an idea: Why not blend the homemade pasta with the convenience of an express made-to-order service model? That's when Cibo Homemade Pasta & Grille was born. The restaurant opened in February 2009 at 8564 East Washington Street in Bainbridge.
Cibo, which means food in Italian, is a family affair—the Suglia daughters work in the restaurant and are learning the responsibility that comes with managing a small business. "They can see their parents work and take care of customers and run the day-to-day business," Suglia says. "You don't get that type of experience in school."
Meanwhile, his wife, Denise Suglia makes Cibo's delicate pizelles. Her ancestors actually developed a pasta-making machine, and a modern version of this is used in Cibo.
Entrepreneurial Flavor
This was not Suglia's first foray into entrepreneurship. Over the last 30 years, he has worked in the building industry and restaurant business, and he joined COSE early on.
"Not only did they help me with health insurance <www.cose.org/benefits>, but also with workers' compensation <www.cose.org/workerscomp> claims, and they've been a great resource for my businesses over the years," he says, adding, "My two passions in life are food and building things."
His offering certainly fills a niche. Pasta is made fresh daily, and customers can choose between regular or whole-wheat cavatelli. The fresh pasta is cooked right in front of the customer and takes just minutes to prepare.
"It's fast, Italian food—good, healthy stuff," Suglia says.
www.cibohomemadepasta.net