By Marco Zambon and Silvia Rozas
In Italy, we eat pizza at least once a week out of habit. After a month of confinement and closed restaurants, Venetians were looking forward to having good pizza in their hands again and the reception when we opened the restaurant [Birraria la Corte] was incredible.
We really didn’t expect such a good welcome! We received so many orders every day, as well as calls and expressions of thanks from our customers.
Without a doubt, the experience at the Basque Culinary Center was key to understanding the situation we were facing. It has given us the ability to adapt quickly and transform the business.
Thanks to the final degree of work we are carrying out, we have spent a lot of time thinking about how to improve the Venetian food chain by promoting food sovereignty and the conservation of the biodiversity of the Lagoon.
One of the results is a collaboration with producers and the development of products that create a shared value, which has become completely necessary in this moment of Coronavirus.
Even though this was a very difficult period for everyone, we have had several positive experiences. First of all, we have experienced delivery. Adapting our business to this sales format has been a commitment that has given us satisfaction, since we were the first ones, and now there are many restaurants that have followed the same path.
It has also been very satisfying to have had the opportunity to establish connections with local producers and other people in the gastronomy movement and to work towards a common goal of sustainable development. We will continue to fight to ensure the team continues to work on future projects and that these opportunities are used constructively for the gastronomic and social development of Venice.