Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Solari.
Hi Brian, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Atlantic City, NJ, to an Italian-American family that migrated from Italy to Philadephia. My family was heavily invested in the food scene in Philly, and growing up, I loved the detail of really well-made food and business. When I moved to Charleston to attend college in 1995, I loved the European feel of the city and felt it would be a great spot for a dessert-focused Italian cafe. Today, we are about to open our second location in Greenville, SC, on the Reedy River. We are very excited about the location and the direction the food scene is going in that city.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Opening, running, and growing Carmella’s had many, if not all, the most challenging experiences of my life. I came very close to losing the business at least three times in the first six years we were open. Many people think that because you own a business, even a busy one, you are doing very, very well. The truth is there are a lot of variables that have to happen for doing well to be a reality. It wasn’t in my seventh year that I could move out of the week-to-week paycheck of being an employee of the business. Almost all my employees made more money than I did for that period. Many times during this period, we were able to cut paychecks to the employees, pay lease fees on time, and make payments to food vendors without having our account closed down. One of the major struggles was dealing with the constant change of government regulations and laws on the city, state, and federal levels. With every change, it felt like we were scrambling to comply with the new rules that sometimes forced us to reinvent ways to deliver service and create products, not to mention the fees involved when the rules became more complicated. Most people can relate to the difficulties of the Covid shutdowns. This was a terrifying time to own a business involving many people gathering together. But many people don’t realize that when we opened back up, the horrors were almost equally as bad, as we were running with about a third of our normal staff because we couldn’t find anyone who wanted to work. We needed help getting basic goods to make products with from the halt in shipping during that time. Truthfully, we have dealt with product and item delays and back orders since then. Although not nearly as bad as the year following the shutdown.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Food creation done well is truly a blend of art and science. A palate that detects intricate flavors and where they come from is crucial to building recipes and refining products. I have a team of good people who know how to taste and make the changes necessary to build well-balanced and simple food. But as much as making food is an art and science, running a business is a skill that involves a different set of knowledge in art and science. The fact is that most business people I see miss these skills, and more so, people in my field of food service. I have seen many talented food people who lack more skills, and my best skill is blending these two skills. My passion for food creation is my desire, which is why I excel at it. But the skill of running a business is something that I have studied very hard for decades and continue to learn from masters of industry today. I spend a lot of money and time learning the techniques and skills of running organizations.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the charm of Charleston. It’s a beautiful city. It’s energizing to walk around in. But I wouldn’t say I like the infrastructure. It’s an old town, which accounts for its issues, but road conditions, flooding, parking, transportation, etc, have led to a lack of ability to recruit labor.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carmellasdessertbar.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmellasdessertbar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarmellasDessertBar
