Don’t Change What Makes Your Business Great With Steve DiFillippo, Owner and Chef of Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse

From Persona To Personal

Steve DiFillippo is the Owner and Chef of Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse. In 1985, when Steve was just 24, he purchased Davio’s when it was a family restaurant in Boston's trendy Back Bay. Across the US, from Boston to Texas, he's grown Davio's to 12 locations, becoming one of the country's most sought-after restaurants. That first restaurant is now the hub of a rapidly growing $50 million restaurant brand group and a $10 million Davio’s brand food line. His book, It’s All About the Guest, is considered the ultimate guide to starting a restaurant, running a successful business, enjoying food, and living life.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

When faced with uncertain circumstances, should you stay true to your standards or compromise and change your business model? How do you maintain quality, keep your employees happy, and continue to deliver a superb customer experience despite tough challenges?

During the pandemic, many restaurants pivoted to takeout and delivery to keep revenue coming in and stay afloat. However, that wasn’t necessarily the best strategy for every business. Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse decided to completely close down for three months because it could not maintain the quality of its menu options through a takeout and delivery business model. When Davio’s opened back up, its spacious restaurants were well suited for dining in, and its locations easily accommodated an outside eating experience. Staying true to its standards and striving for greatness, Davio’s weathered the pandemic and came out on top.

On this episode of From Persona to Personal, Roger Hurni welcomes Steve DiFillippo, Owner and Chef at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse, to talk about why the only pivot Davio’s made during the pandemic was to shut down for three months. Steve talks about the benefits of building a great culture, why staying open through the entire pandemic wasn’t the right choice for Davio’s, why raising prices during a recession and inflation is a sound plan, and why being the best was the path to Davio’s 37 successful years. Don’t miss this lively conversation!