Businessweek Extra-Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia

one fifty seven years. Also closing New York City's twenty one Club, although said to be exploring options, so fingers crossed on that one. Overall, more than one restaurants have closed permanently or long term across the country as the industry grapples with the devastating impact of the COVID nineteen pandemic. And yet, against this difficult and once in a lifetime

restaurant industry meltdown, Prince Emmanuel Philiberto di Savoya did the unthinkable. Emmanuel, by the way, grandson of Italy's last king, He's operated his long running Prince and Venice food truck serving at Italian food for years on the streets of l A. What was the unthinkable? The Prince opened his first brick and mortar restaurant in the l A neighborhood of Westwood. Here's our conversation. I had lockdown also in Italy. We were completely shot. We couldn't go out of the house

for two months. And as soon as we were able to reopen and when things were a bit clearer, I had authorization to come to America and to be able to open the restaurant. Well, so somebody, I'm thinking people are listening, they say, well, why did you even pursue opening the restaurant during a pandemic? Why did you so?

You know, everything starts with food trucks. Four years ago I created the first fresh pasta food truck in Los Angeles and we had a lot of success um with with this concept, with this new concept because I was doing my own pastas in the in the food truck with organic products with Italian flower work, and people really liked it. So um. Since then, I always had the idea of expanding and opening a restaurant, and I really found during the pandemic, I think through websites, through loop

net or I don't know which website. I really found this incredible location with a beautiful courtyard, uh in a Westwood, which is the university town, the medical town, and so I decided to take it and to and and and to to start this new adventure. And I really think when you have an idea and when you you you have the opportunity to do it, it's it's good to to go ahead. You know, pandemic not pandemic. The important thing is that my concept, because coming from a food

trump is really to go and a delivery concept. Mine is a fast casual restaurant. I want people to eat in a fast casual way, to take out delivery. I also have a beautiful courtyard, as I said, but they shut us down unfortunately recently. But all the idea is to give the opportunity to people to taste real Italian handmade past us. And now we do also pizzas and janis, which are the rice cones, beautiful disser at a good price and in a very good Italian quality. So, Emmanuel,

I want to take you back to the martin. You said you're you're constructing your restaurant by FaceTime and by skype from Italy. Um how easy was that? How difficult was that? I mean, we're doing a lot of things that we didn't do before virtually, and it's amazing all the things we can get done well, and yes we can. We did a lot of things that we couldn't get done before. But in a certain way, it was quite frustrating because you know, you really need to see the place,

to feel the colors that everything. But in in another way, it was it saved me come greatly because as I least this wonderful property, um, I was able to to to not lose time and to start building everything even if I couldn't go to America because of the pandemic. So it really helped a lot. And and I think we discovered a lot of also a lot of things that we are we were able to to to do during this pandemic and and and to continue our our daily work and our daily contact with people. Yeah, which

is pretty remarkable. So tell me about how the restaurant is running right now? As you mentioned another shutdown, So how are things going? So I was. I was very happy because, as I told you, I had this wonderful more than a thousand square feet courtyard which was very nice and for the first week we opened and people were enjoying it with social distancing, with everything needed to keep everyone safe, and suddenly they shut down. Also the courtyards in um In in Los Angeles, like I think

they starting today in New York. So we had too well to recreate a bit everything and to to really focus in on the two go and on the delivery side, which, like I told you before, for me it was quite easy because coming from a food truck idea, it was really a to go business and I really believe in those models now more than ever, those kind of fast, casual but high quality restaurants. Well, and so how busy have you been and how much of it have you

been able to you? Obviously, as you said, because it was a food truck initially, it sounds like the pivot was relatively easy. But I'm just curious, what kind of business activity have you had in terms of take out orders or delivery. So listen, we we the activity was a bit fifty fifty. We work with the biggest platforms from Postmates, you Breath, Slice, so it was a bit fifty fifty like delivery and the two go. I can tell you something is that opening like exactly one month

ago because I opened on the of November of via November. Um, we are starting to break even. That mean I am not losing money today with I kept all my staff, I kept my two cooks, my manager and everyone, and we are not losing money. So I think the the idea is good and it shows that even during difficult moments like this, and and at the beginning you were speaking about those incredible iconic restaurants which are unfortunately closing today.

But people who have ideas and people who have ideas, integrating today what we can do and what we cannot do, and taking also consider ration about the pandemic and what is happening. I think it's worth trying them and and and and and try to build something because from this period, if it goes well, it can only grow. So I think we must look forward and and really think that, yes, it's a very difficult moment to pass, but if this

succeeds now, it can only grow well. And I do wonder, you know, in terms of if you look at the restaurant industry, I mean it's just been decimated, and I do wonder how much ultimately comes back, our new ideas come back um, you know after such you know, after after such a significant loss. Yes, don't know. Well, the problem is that a lot of of of of restaurants which didn't have this this idea of to go or

or delivery before the pandemic. For them, it was very difficult to to to then turn and to habituate the customers to come and and and and and take from them. Or I'm thinking about the us, the bars, the restaurants. This is it's terrible for them. But I think a lot of way I'm you know, I was looking a lot about all the leasts that were done in Los Angeles restaurants. Things are moving and people are leasing places.

I know that next to me doughnut places opening. Um. So I think people are now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully and and so they're preparing themselves for the big reopened. I don't know when it will be. And and but you know, also this big reopened there is careful. Being careful is also very important because I can tell you from Europe now I'm seeing the situation in Italy where they were to shut

down and they completely reopened. And and today I saw some images of the center of Milan full of people with no protection, and I think, where do you know? Sometimes I think the governments or who is taking care of this are really not prepared and they're trying to do the thousand things in the same time. Well, there's no coherence. Well, Emmanuel, and I did want to ask you because you do, I assume have family back in Italy.

I mean, what you guys are hearing about how things are going or you know, we're we're pretty you know, kind of bracing for pretty dark winter. It's I feel like they overuse but maybe appropriate ap properly overused phrase to describe what we're all waiting for in the next month here when it comes to the virus in the US.

But just quickly, just got about forty seconds here. Um, how what are you hearing from your family over in Italy when everyone is is very scared because you know, um, the government wants to open for Christmas and because Christmas and Italy is very important. Fim are gathering somebody together or think but um in the in the same time, I don't think it's a very good idea. I think people you must follow a line, a line of thinking

and and Christmas or not Christmas. You know, it's easier to put someone at your table than to take it off, uh indefinitely, and and think that this guy will be a grave soon. So we must really be careful. We must really be careful. And that wraps up our Bloomberg Business Week Extra podcast with Prince Emanuel Philiberto Did Savoya talking about opening up his first brick and mortar restaurant

amid the pandemic. You've been listening to Bloomberg Business Week Extra, be sure to listen to Bloomberg Business Week Radio, airing live Monday if you're Friday at two pm Wall Street Time on Bluemberg Radio. I'm Carol Masser. This is Bloomberg