Graspa Group, Graziano Sbroggio’s restaurant management company, was established to streamline the operations of five very successful dining venues: TiramesU, Spris, The Van Dyke Café and Segafredo on Lincoln Road, as well as Maitardi in the Design District. Graspa Group also manages Spuntino Bakery & Catering and events at Ice Palace Studios, all while creating a brand synonymous with innovation and professionalism. With the company growing, it was essential to become a little more “corporate”, but still keep the “homey” feel that attracts employees and patrons. And getting a group of Italians to conform to the American culture and ways of doing things proved to be quite challenging in the beginning (but Graziano wouldn’t admit to that!). But with HR, Accounting, Inventory Control, Social Media and Marketing Departments, along with a dynamic group of managers, Graspa Group is well equipped to handle the responsibility. The group of experienced professionals that challenge and support one another, working toward a common goal, is the very reason Graspa Group exists and the cornerstone of its success. But to talk about Graspa Group one must start from the very beginning…
Graziano Sbroggio landed on Miami Beach’s sunny shores in 1990. He took a job working for family friends, the Fregonese family, managing TiramesU restaurant. Ten years later he became a partner in TiramesU and never looked back.
In October 1998, Graziano decided to open Spris “La Pizzeria del TiramesU”, just two doors down from TiramesU. Although the two restaurants share the same ownership, there are distinct differences between the two. TiramesU is more formal with white tablecloths, a full bar, expansive menu and subtle lighting. Spris offers a large variety of wood-burning brick oven pizzas and specialty sandwiches and salads, along with a selection of beers and wines. The atmosphere at Spris is casual, the service efficient and all at very reasonable prices.
Graziano was the first to offer Segafredo coffee in the Miami area. Due to the close business relationship with Segafredo’s owner Massimo Zanetti, Graziano approached the company with the idea of opening a Segafredo Cafe in Miami Beach. Teaming his efforts with co-owner Mark Soyka, of News Café fame, Segafredo Espresso opened on June 10th, 2000. Under the direction of Luca Voltarel, Segafredo will commemorate 10 years of success with an upcoming 10th anniversary celebration, and the casually chic venue shows no sign of slowing down. The lure is easy; if you love people-watching it tends to be Miami’s best spot. Its outdoor café setting attracts tourists, locals, pet-lovers and many interesting personalities.
To meet the growing demands of his restaurant operations, Graziano opened Spuntino Bakery in 2001 with the Executive Chef at TiramesU, Carlo Donadoni. Donadoni’s experience and Northern Italian training made him the obvious choice. Spuntino Bakery was created to supply homemade breads, pastas and pizza dough to the restaurants. In 2004, Spuntino Catering was named the official catering division of Graziano’s growing empire, another endeavor with Donadoni at the helm. Spuntino Catering specializes in European style full service catering for weddings, social and charitable events and corporate functions.
In January 2007, Graziano undertook his biggest endeavor thus far when he partnered with Luca Voltarel and Mark Soyka once again in the historic Van Dyke Café, an American indoor/outdoor bistro on Lincoln Road. He gave the second floor a much needed facelift and brought back the live music that this lounge was known for, with a monthly entertainment line-up boasting an eclectic mix of local and national live music acts, in genres from funk and Latin to soul and R&B, in addition to jazz.
September 2009 marked yet another restaurant opening with Luca Voltarel, this time adding another partner, long time Corporate Chef, Alberto Marcato. Maitardi, loosely translated from Italian as “never late”, offers a causal, relaxed atmosphere in the heart of the Design District with moderately priced Northern Italian cuisine for lunch and dinner. This beautiful site boasts a fantastic four thousand square foot outdoor terrace shaded by 150 year old white oak trees, offering the best al fresco dining in the area. A brightly tiled mosaic mural is a beautiful backdrop to the terrace, which includes an outside bar and wood burning oven. The addition of Noche Latina, every third Thursday of the month, has also brought in a new live music scene alluring patrons that love to dance under the stars.
And so Graspa Group was born, striving to make patrons think of their venues as a home away from home. Simple food, great service and unique ambiance have become key ingredients to the winning formula. The age-old Italian combination of good food and good people has made Sbroggio a well-known businessman in Miami and has grown the company to more than 350 employees. Graspa’s slogan says it all: “We are food people. It’s what we do. It’s what we love.”
Graspa Group is located at 1112 N. Miami Avenue, Second Floor. 305-532-1233. www.graspagroup.com
