The Main Course Archive Pt. 2
Adam & Alex Saper of Eataly
Go behind the scenes at Eataly, a high-end Italian food market/mall chain comprising a variety of restaurants, food and beverage stations, bakery, and retail items, on a brand new episode of The Main Course. Patrick Martins is joined by brothers Adam and Alex Saper who are partners in the Italian retail giant. Adam Saper spent childhood summers in Italy where he became enamored with the food and the people. After he graduated from Columbia University, he boarded a plane to Florence to learn the language. A year later, he was back in New York with Italian roommates, but not nearly enough quality Italian food. He decided to solidify his entrepreneurial experience as the Director of Business Development for a growing medical devices company. The job often brought him abroad and, by chance, brought him back to Italy by way of Oscar Farinetti's "Eataly." He wanted to give his hometown an opportunity to experience the energy and the quality of this unique Italian marketplace. So, he and his brother, Alex, put their Italian to good use and forged a partnership to create the first ever Eataly North America. Alex Saper started his career in finance but found himself unfulfilled. He wanted to pursue his passion for Italian food and wine and with his Italian language skills, began working at the Eataly founding flagship in Torino, Italy. As the company grew, he traveled to Japan to open more stores, studying the business to determine the best way to translate this amazing concept to his fellow New Yorkers. Together with his brother, Adam, and New York restaurant veterans, Mario Batali and Joe and Lidia Bastianich, the very first Eataly USA located in NYC started to take shape. This program was brought to you by Brooklyn Slate.
"Anytime you open something that's 5,000 square feet and hasn't been done before, there will be challenges." [09:00]
"If we don't have good people running our business, we'll never be a success. That starts with people being happy in the stores." [22:00]
--Alex Saper on The Main Course
"It's really nice to be able to be in the store. I love helping customers find something or seeing a frustrated customer, helping them and seeing them become a loyal customer." [20:00]
--Adam Saper on The Main Course