Toronto-Based Restaurateur Janet Zuccarini Adds Gusto Catering and Commissary Kitchen to Her Hospitality Roster
TORONTO, June 1, 2015 /CNW/ - To encompass the growing roster of her restaurant and hospitality ventures, Toronto-based restaurateur Janet Zuccarini has established Gusto 54 Global Restaurant Group (Gusto 54). Under its umbrella, the group currently houses the award-winning Gusto 101, the storied Trattoria Nervosa, partnership with Toronto hot spot Pai Northern Thai Kitchen, and its newest venture – Gusto 54 Catering and Commissary Kitchen (Gusto 54 Catering).
The name Gusto 54 pays tribute to Zuccarini's father, Giacomo, who imported the first espresso machine to Canada in 1954. He also introduced the first wood-burning pizza oven and heated restaurant patio to Toronto. Today Zuccarini is successfully carrying on her father's entrepreneurial spirit. "Creating Gusto 54 was the natural evolution of my 20 years of experience as a restaurateur," says owner Janet Zuccarini. "Our ultimate goal as a restaurant group is to deliver a transporting guest experience via excellent food, customer service and design."
The new addition to the Gusto 54 roster is their catering business. Located in downtown Toronto, Gusto 54 Catering will offer Southern Italian dishes with a twist. The menu will include some of their restaurants' culinary staples, as well as new items that take a modern approach to catering mainstays. Gusto 54 Catering will also house the wholesale production of pasta, bread and gelato for direct delivery to all Gusto 54 restaurants, while also serving as an innovative testing ground for new menu items and retail products.
"With the growing demand for our food, we are excited to bring the Gusto restaurant experience directly to our customers through our catering offerings," says Zuccarini. "And, as we continue developing the brand, our commissary kitchen will serve as a testing ground for culinary creativity and innovation."
Today Zuccarini is getting ready to bring the Gusto 54 experience south of the border with the launch of Gusto in LA. There are also plans to remodel the 100-year-old Trattoria Nervosa building to double the restaurant's capacity. And, the construction of Gusto 501 will break ground in 2016 in Toronto's Corktown neighborhood, where the Gusto 54 team is also scouting a location for Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen, another restaurant concept.
About Gusto 54 Global Restaurant Group (Gusto 54)
Created by restaurateur Janet Zuccarini, Gusto 54 grew out of Zuccarini's expanding restaurant portfolio and her three passions: business, food and travel. The following ventures currently fall under the Gusto 54 umbrella: Trattoria Nervosa (Bloor-Yorkville, Toronto), Gusto 101 (King West, Toronto), Pai Northern Thai Kitchen (Entertainment District, Toronto) and Gusto 54 Catering (serving the Greater Toronto Area). In the upcoming year, Gusto 54 will be preparing to open Gusto in LA (Venice Beach, Los Angeles), Gusto 501 (Corktown, Toronto) and Chubby's Jamaican Kitchen (Corktown, Toronto).
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Image with caption: "Gusto 54 Global Restaurant Group (CNW Group/Gusto 54 Global Restaurant Group (Gusto 54))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150601_C5467_PHOTO_EN_17343.jpg
Media Contacts: Olena Gisys, NKPR, [email protected], 416.365.3630 ext.252; Nicole Manes, NKPR, [email protected], 416.365.3630 ext.228
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