Summary
We are Adam Vaughn and Vince Bath, business partners in La Passeggiata. Between the two of us, we have spent a combined 5 years living in Italy and are anxious to share with the Greater Salt Lake Area an undiscovered Italian street cuisine we've long since craved. Vince combines his cooking and restaurant management experience with my international business education for the perfect "recipe" for success.
The Concept
The idea came about when we were frustrated with having to pay $10-15 for authentic Italian pizza. The only option for Italian food under $10 was "imitation" Italian food from national pizza chains whose variety is characterized by Italian concoctions. For example, a national chain might take the words "Pizza" and "Calzone," put them together and create the "Pizone." It sounds cute and it's low-cost, but it's certainly not certified authentic nor is the name truly Italian.
From our time in Italy, we actually knew of authentic spin-off's of Italian food within the same vein of pizza and pasta similar to what these chains were trying to create. We realized that between the regional variations of street food, we could have a complete menu of unique food that nobody in our local community was offering and still satisfy the requirements that the food be authentic and fall in the $5-8 price range.
Our menu items will include arancini (deep-fried rice balls), panzerotti (deep-fried calzones), focacce, panini, gelato served in a brioche sweet rolls, granite (Italian slushy's), and a variety of pastries.
The Rollout
With the $5,000 dollars we raise from this campaign we will be able to launch the mobile food truck version of "La Passeggiata." The name was coined in reference to the cultural pastime in Italy called 'la passeggiata' when locals flood the plazas downtown for an evening promenade with friends and family. During this relaxing social event, one will find Italians indulging in that same local street cuisine that we hope offer with our mobile food truck. Capturing this element of Italian culture was just as important to us as our commitment to authentic ingredients.
As a reward for your contributions, we will offer up to 20 free meals per person depending on the amount donated. Essentially you are ordering your food in advance and you are absolutely getting what you pay for! We will also offer free catering for 100-200 people for larger donations. We can offer no better reward than the food itself!
The Impact
With the growth of the mobile food truck, we hope to grow into a casual pizzeria style cafe that maintains that quaint Italian feel of 'la passeggiata' cultural experience and our unique variety of food.
We are also passionate about community engagement and would like to sponsor some events that give back to the community by raising money for small business start-ups and scholarships in the arts, languages, and culinary disciplines. Your contributions are immeasurable to us and those we hope to serve. Thank you for sharing your love of Italian culture and cuisine by channeling it with our own!
