Chef Fernando & Aida Scarpati: The Power Of Enthusiasm

[[MUSIC]]

I’M KASSATA BOLLMAN. 

TODAY MY GUESTS ARE AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI. 

THEY JOIN US FROM MANHATTAN…..

WHERE THEY ARE SIBLING CO-OWNERS OF FERDI….. A NEW ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN THE WEST VILLAGE.

THEY GREW UP IN THE INDUSTRY…..

AND….BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM THEY’VE WORKED IN THEIR FAIR SHARE OF RESTAURANTS…INCLUDING MAREA,  COTE ……AND A MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANT IN NAPLES……JUST TO NAME A FEW……

USUALLY WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE JOURNEY TO THE PRESENT MOMENT…..BUT THESE TWO ARE ON THE JOURNEY RIGHT NOW….

IT’S AN EXCITING TIME….THEY JUST LAUNCHED THEIR RESTAURANT….. SO….

WE’LL BE DISCUSSING…. 

WHAT IT’S LIKE IN NEW YORK CITY RIGHT FOR NEW RESTAURANTS…..

ALSO…….SINCE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT NY ITALIAN RESTAURANTS….WE’LL TOUCH ON LITTLE ITALY….AND IT’S SHRINKING BORDERS…… 

AFTER DECADES OF RISING RENTS….FORCED PEOPLE….OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD…..WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN NY THESE DAYS….DOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD EVEN MATTER?

PLUS….WE EXPLORE ENTHUSIASM…. AND WHY IT PLAYS A LARGE ROLE…WHEN WE’RE LAUNCHING A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR LIVES….…

SO I’LL START BY ASKING…..AS WE ALWAYS DO…..“HAVE YOU EATEN YET?”......

THIS COULD BE A MEAL FROM TODAY  …...OR….. IT COULD BE A MEAL FROM ANYTIME IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT YOU HAVE A REALLY GREAT MEMORY ABOUT…..

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

NYC

IT’S 2022…MOST OF US ARE NOT ASKING CUSTOMERS…. FOR VACCINATION STATUS….

MASK MANDATES ARE A THING OF THE PAST…..

MOST PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE DINING INSIDE…..OUTDOOR DINING IS STILL A THING….

THOUGH…MAYOR ADAMS HAS BEEN DEMOLISHING THE ABANDONED OUTDOOR DINING SHEDS….

THERE’S STILL A TON OF VACANT BUILDINGS IN NEW YORK CITY….BOTH RETAIL AND RESTAURANT SPACES THAT ARE SITTING EMPTY…..

A LOT OF OFFICES ARE STILL NOT FULL OF EMPLOYEES…..

INFLATION IS HIGH…

THE OTHER DAY THE NY TIMES HAD AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE FALL DINING SCENE…. AND REFERENCED $15 FRENCH FRIES….

I’M SETTING THE STAGE HERE FOR LISTENERS OVERSEAS….. AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY….SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND FULLY….EVERYTHING YOU’RE FACING AS A NEW RESTAURANT IN NY CITY….

IT’S BETTER THAN IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO….NO DOUBT…

BUT WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO OPEN A RESTAURANT IN MANHATTAN NOW ? 

DID YOU GET A GREAT DEAL ON THE BUILDING ? WAS IT A GUT FEELING…MAYBE YOU JUST KNEW…THIS IS IT….THE TIME IS NOW  ?

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

FERDI

I’M GOING TO ROLL A FEW QUESTIONS INTO ONE…WITH THE INTENTION OF HAVING YOU BRING US INTO YOUR LIFE….

FROM WHEN THE IDEA OF FERDI FIRST CAME TO YOU…..TO PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION…….TO OPENING DAY……..ALL THE WAY TO PRESENT DAY……

AS YOU ALL ARE LAUNCHING THIS BUSINESS………HOW BIG OR SMALL IS YOUR TEAM ?....... ANY CHALLENGES THAT STAND OUT ? …….

ANY HIGHLIGHTS THAT YOU’RE PROUD OF SO FAR ? …… 

WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU ? ……..

BASICALLY I’M TRYING TO GET THE OVERALL FEEL… FOR THIS TIME IN YOUR LIFE……

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

NYC’S DINING SCENE

WHAT’S IT LIKE FOR YOU ?….OR OTHER RESTAURANTS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ?  

I KNOW YOU’RE NEW ON THE SCENE….BUT SO FAR….WHAT’S THE TEMPERATURE LIKE FOR NEW YORK’S DINING SCENE RIGHT NOW….AS YOU SEE IT ? 

IS IT ON THE COME UP ? IS HIRING AN ISSUE ? CAN STAFF AFFORD TO LIVE IN ANY OF THE 5 BOROUGHS ?…. OR ARE THEY COMMUTING FROM NJ OR LONG ISLAND ?

BASICALLY I’M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF NY IS ON AN UP-SWING OR IN TRANSITION ?

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

LITTLE ITALY 

THESE DAYS….LITTLE ITALY IS DOWN TO A FEW BLOCKS AROUND MULBERRY STREET….

RECENTLY I WAS READING AN ARTICLE THAT TALKED ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS…..AT THAT POINT…..NOT A SINGLE PERSON BORN IN ITALY…. LIVED IN LITTLE ITALY.

AFTER DECADES OF RISING RENTS….FORCED PEOPLE OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD…..WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN NY THESE DAYS ?….

I’M CURIOUS…DO YOU FEEL THAT THE LOCATION OR NEIGHBORHOOD MATTERS ? …….WOULD YOU PREFER TO BE THE ONLY ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD …..AND STAND OUT ? 

….OR WOULD IT BE NICE TO BE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD SURROUNDED BY SIMILAR STORES AND RESTAURANTS ?……

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

ENTHUSIASM

WHEN WE’RE LAUNCHING A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR LIVES….. ENTHUSIASM PLAYS A BIG ROLE….

ENTREPRENEUR JIM ROHN TALKS ABOUT ENTHUSIASM AND BASICALLY DIVIDES IT INTO TWO CATEGORIES: INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.

 “OUTSIDE ENTHUSIASM”.....IS WHAT YOU SHOW PEOPLE….IT’S LOUD….IT’S WHAT PEOPLE CAN SEE AND HEAR…….AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH……..

ACCORDING TO ROHN, THAT’S ONLY 10 PERCENT OF ENTHUSIASM……

BUT HE BELIEVES THAT THE FULL MOMENTUM OF ENTHUSIASM IS 90 PERCENT…. BELOW THE SURFACE… IT COMES FROM DEEP INSIDE OF YOU…..IT’S THE FEELING OF GENUINE PURPOSE TO KEEP GOING…..EVEN WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH…….

HE BELIEVES THAT THE POWER OF ENTHUSIASM WILL LET YOU COMMIT TO THE JOB AT HAND.…..IT WILL LET YOU GO ALL IN……AND KEEP YOUR PURPOSE ALIVE…….

YOU TWO ARE VERY MUCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS NEW CHAPTER IN YOUR LIFE…..DOES THIS IDEA OF ENTHUSIASM RESONATE WITH YOU ?

IF SO….I’D LOVE TO HEAR HOW ENTHUSIASM PLAYS A ROLE IN YOUR LIFE …..WHEN IT COMES TO FERDI ?

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

FINDING INSPIRATION

HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO FIND INSPIRATION EACH YEAR ? ......

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

FUTURE

WHAT DOES YOUR IDEAL FUTURE LOOK LIKE ?......

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

SYNCHRONICITIES

HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY SIGNS OR SYNCHRONICITIES IN YOUR LIFE…. THAT LED TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU….. IN THIS INDUSTRY? ……. 

IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE MOMENT….

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

FLOW STATE:

A FLOW STATE, ALSO KNOWN AS BEING IN THE ZONE…. IS THE MENTAL STATE WHEN A PERSON IS PERFORMING AN ACTIVITY….. AND IS FULLY IMMERSED…. IN A FEELING OF ENERGIZED FOCUS, CLARITY  AND ENJOYMENT…. IN THE ENTIRE PROCESS…..

IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE WORK….IT’S EFFORTLESS ATTENTION….. THAT YOU’RE GIVING THE ACTIVITY…..IT’S A EUPHORIC FEELING… 

IT’S DURING THIS ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS…. THAT YOUR MIND FUNCTIONS… AT ITS PEAK….AND A SENSE OF HAPPINESS… FLOWS THROUGH YOUR BODY.

FOR YOU IT COULD BE AS YOU’RE COOKING PERHAPS…..OR WORKING AT THE RESTAURANT ALONE….BEFORE ANYONE ARRIVES AT WORK…..

I’M WONDERING …..IF YOU’VE YOU EVER REACHED THIS STATE ?.....

IF YOU HAVE….PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR SURROUNDINGS…. LEADING IT UP TO IT….

AND WHAT IT FELT LIKE…. BEING IN THAT STATE?

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

TAKEAWAY:

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY WITH US …

I BELIEVE THAT THE JOURNEY…. IS ALWAYS GREATER THAN THE DESTINATION. 

IT’S ON THE PATH THAT WE LEARN….EVOLVE AND….. ENCOUNTER LESSONS…. THAT SHAPE US…. INTO OUR BEST SELVES.

I ALWAYS LIKE ENDING THE PODCAST…. BY ASKING…. IF THERE’S ANY TAKEAWAY THAT YOU’D LIKE TO LEAVE WITH LISTENERS…... THAT CAN POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THEIR LIVES.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED…. A LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED ON YOUR JOURNEY…. OR GENERAL LIFE ADVICE THAT YOU LIVE BY ….…

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

AND WHERE OR HOW …..IS THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO CONNECT…. OR GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU  ?

[[AIDA AND FERNANDO SCARPATI DISCUSSES]]

OUTRO:

THANKS FOR LISTENING….AND IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY….... FOLLOW  “HAVE YOU EATEN YET?” ….WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS….

[[MUSIC]]