When Italian-born and bred Angelo Elia made his way to South Florida nearly 30 years ago, it became very evident that the area lacked quality Italian cuisine. Having decades of Italian cooking experience, which began at age 12 in his mother’s home kitchen in Italy, Elia made it his mission to source quality ingredients to conjure up classic Italian staples and make them a mainstay in the tri-county area. His dream came true with the opening of Casa D’Angelo in Fort Lauderdale in 1998, and success quickly followed. Now, Elia oversees The Angelo Elia Group restaurant empire with over 500 employees across four fine dining restaurants, four Angelo Elia Pizza, Bar and Tapas locations and one Angelo The Bakery Bar.
Elia recently decided to sell the Pizza, Bar and Tapas locations to further focus on fine dining while indicating new concepts, locations and ventures are ahead.
After accomplishing his mission of bringing authentic and high-quality Italian dishes to South Florida, his business success transformed into helping the local community, which has become instrumental in his endeavors. Elia has made giving back to the South Florida community a significant part of The Angelo Elia Group’s platform. The extensive list of philanthropic work includes supporting cancer foundations, including the Pink Angels Memorial Foundation, volunteering culinary assistance for Nova Southeastern University’s yearly Celebration of Excellence, working with the renowned James Beard Foundation, supporting the Funding Arts Broward organization and hosting annual fundraisers for the Pace Center for Girls of Broward County.
Who’s been your biggest influence in the restaurant industry?
I’ve been involved in the restaurant industry since I was 12 years old with my mom. She was my best influence in everything I was doing. She was very particular and very tough.
What did you learn from her?
I learned the basics, which are the most important things in real Italian cuisine. She taught me everything you needed to be successful: the traditional sauces, the stock, the chicken broth, the homemade pasta, the fresh ingredients, the fresh meat and fish, everything.
What inspired you to open your first restaurant?
I left my house in Italy when I was 14 years old and never came back because I wanted to prove that I could do it on my own. I went to New York and stayed there for about 17 years, then moved to South Florida to open my first restaurant.
What were some of the challenges opening over 25 years ago?
I was one of the few Italian restaurants to open when I got here; most people didn’t know what a lot of the food was. They didn’t know what a burrata was. I was one of the first ones to start bringing all the best cheese and ingredients and it was a risk because people didn’t know. It was a challenge trying to bring traditional Italy back to South Florida because it was all fettuccine alfredo and things like that. If you do something the right way, people will come back.
What do you think has been the key to your success?
Be stable. Be reliable. Use the best quality ingredients and treat our guests right. I try to be the best every day. Every day is a journey; every day is a challenge in life and my wife has supported me every single day.
How do you manage such a large, loyal staff?
Treat everybody the way I like to be treated. Respect everybody and give them great pay so they can support their family and not have to look for a different job. We are like a small family company because my wife and I are the only owners, but my employees and I are like a family at the end of the day. We like each other; we respect each other. Everybody wants to work at Casa D’Angelo because even if we have a couple of bad months a year, we’re still the best and busiest restaurant in town and I feel very confident to say that. Employees want to feel comfortable and enjoy working and I want everyone to be treated right, so that’s why I’m involved in all the roles at the restaurant.
What are some of your favorite Casa D’Angelo dishes?
The Fiori Di Zucca with zucchini flowers. The veal chop is the best. The white truffle in the winter and the black truffle in the summer are always favorites.
What’s your favorite Italian dish?
I love a good dish of pasta. I love the basic tomato-based pasta. It’s one of the great things in life. I think Italian is all about simplicity. If you want to have a real beautiful piece of fish, all you need is a little bit of olive oil and lemon, not a million little items.
Which local charities are you involved in?
I’m involved with many of them, but the most important to me is PACE [Pace Center for Girls Broward]. We’ve raised over a million and a half so far. Every year, we close the restaurant and have a big party for them to raise about $100,000 each time. I’m also involved with Nova Southeastern University’s Night of Excellence, cooking for 500-600 people.
How did you get involved with PACE?
Many years ago, I won a thousand dollars in a raffle. When I went to pick up the money, I saw their beautiful center. I took the money and gave it back to do something to help this beautiful facility grow.
Why do you think it’s so important to be involved with charities?
God gave me a good life and I like to give it back.
How does it feel to see your influence used in positive ways?
It feels great. You accomplish so much in your life and to do something like that is really amazing.
Who has influenced you to help give back?
My wife really pushed me to do so much with the community. We also have a lot of good customers who come here and like to give back, so they help me with a lot of charities.
What do you enjoy about the South Florida community?
I love everything about South Florida. I found my home, my wife and my family here. I have my son and daughter, who are the joys of a lifetime. This is my home and where I found my success in giving back. It’s been a journey. I still feel like a 30-year-old man. I look forward to opening new restaurants and keeping the journey going and growing my reputation day by day.
Photography by Eduardo Schneider
