Italian restaurant and art gallery: It’s not your kid’s macaroni art

Describe your business.

We combine an eclectic restaurant featuring creative fresh gourmet pastas and chicken and seafood specialties in a vibrant art gallery. We also manufacture and produce fresh pasta for Strip hotels. We serve lunch and dinner, as well as cater private events.

Who are your customers?

We have customers come from all over the country and world due to our strong presence on rating services such as Zagat, Yelp, Urban Spoon and Rewards Network. We also have a strong convention attendee following from our former location close to the Strip. Our strongest presence is from the Anthem, Green Valley and Boulder City neighborhoods.

What makes your business unique?

We produce fresh pastas and have an art gallery as part of our restaurant, featuring funky, eclectic metal art and custom-made flatware, jewelry and stemware.

What is your business philosophy?

We strive to exceed customer expectations by greeting each guest with a smile and gratitude that they have chosen us for their dining experience. We believe in consistency, cleanliness and attention to detail. The philosophy is, if we perform at this level, we are sure to have people come back.

What’s the most important part of your job?

Maintaining excellence in service, food taste, quality, presentation and appreciating our customers. We also strive to conduct ourselves professionally and maintain the highest standards of sanitation.

What is the hardest part about doing business in Southern Nevada?

Refrigeration equipment is a big part of the restaurant industry. Maintaining proper cooling temperatures is crucial. With the extreme temperatures in the summer, it can be a challenge.

What is the best part about doing business here?

We have a pro-growth business environment in our community. We have close contact with our elected officials and with the regulatory bodies that pertain to our business. The access and availability of these people and agencies enable us to grow and prosper.

What obstacles has your business overcome?

With the housing-bubble burst and the souring economy in 2008, we saw many in our local community suffer dramatically with their personal income and loss of employment. Under these conditions, we lost many of our clientele.

How can Southern Nevada improve its business climate?

We are experiencing creeping tax and regulatory liabilities with unpredictable national health care requirements looming, the talk of state income tax being instituted, unemployment insurance costs climbing and payroll taxes. We need to lighten this burden and stress, so we can put more of our profit into capital improvements and confident hiring of employees.