Brothers and sister Dominic Amelio (left), Maria Amelio Salierno and Guiseppe Amelio each owns an Italian restaurant in Vero Beach, but they insist there is no rivalry between them. “We each have our specialties, but customers come to all our restaurants,” says Maria. “There is no need to compete.”
Two brothers and a sister, born in Naples, Italy, and each with a successful Italian restaurant within a few miles of each other in Vero Beach. This could be a recipe not only for fierce sibling rivalry but also for cutthroat business competition. However, for Maria Amelio Salierno, Dominic Amelio and Guiseppe (Peppy) Amelio – the owners of Bella Napoli, Scampi Grill and Pomodoro Grill – the exact opposite rings as clear as the bells of the Firenze Duomo. Rather, it is the love of family and for each other and a passion for good food and cooking that transcends any hint of rivalry and allows them to express themselves through the culinary arts.
The three scoff at the idea of competition, and even claim that they share customers who visit their restaurants regularly. “We’re a very close family,” Maria says. “We love each other; that is the way we grew up and how we are. We each have our specialties but customers come to all our restaurants. There is no need to compete.” Moreover, they are the first to promote each other. “We all use the flavors that we used in Italy to create our own dishes, and we are all good at it,” Peppy says.
Read the entire article in the November 2008 issue
True Tails is a series written by Amy Robinson for Vero Beach’s dog lovers. Ask Amy about your dog’s behavior by clicking below.
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