Meet Franco Stanzione of Stanzione 87 in Brickell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Franco Stanzione.

Franco, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I signed my lease at 22 and opened at 24 I had recently graduated from college and moved back to Miami from New York. I was searching for a career in finance at the time and quickly realized that avenue was not for me. After some soul searching, I began to create the foundation that is now Stanzione 87. Having experience in the restaurant industry, training in Neapolitan pizza, and a thirst for entrepreneurship. I choose to open in the neighborhood I grew up in. I wanted to give back to the community and help curate the city I call home. I believed Miami was lacking in mid style restaurants easy concepts that are not high or low but open to all, the kind you find in abundance in cities like New York or Chicago. I realized there were not many good pizzerias in Miami and not one traditional Neapolitan pizzeria, so I choose to fill this gap. My then girlfriend now wife Ashley played in major role in the creation of our business her background in fine arts and love of hospitality gave shape to the look and feel of the business and truly created a finished product. Aside from being a career choice the business was an extension of our love and creating this ambitious business went hand in hand with the maturation of our relationship, being able to spend every day together and worked harmoniously on something we believed would change the community gave us an undying belief in our soon to open business. I began construction an arduous process that I do not wish upon my worst enemy. However, I was able to use this long process to my advantage by bringing my beautiful Stefano Ferrara oven in from Italy and testing my pizzas and recipes throughout the construction process. Our goal was and is to make the best possible Neapolitan pizza in the market today using “00” flour, San Marzano tomatoes, and making our mozzarella daily we strive to create a perfect product for our community.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our journey was not smooth we bumped our heads constantly, and instead of a freshly paved road, we seemed to choose to go off-roading. The adventure that is Stanzione 87 ensued, an adventure that was determined to test the limits of our patience and persistence. The struggles, in the beginning, were clear, construction was a nightmare, and sourcing the products we wanted to highlight seemed almost impossible. It sounds almost comedic with the current restaurant having so many similar concepts being open but back then our Stefano Ferrara oven was the first in Miami getting permitting was not easy. Searching for “00” quality flour and true Italian products was also not an easy task. After the struggles of opening our business, we began to feel the struggles of running the business. We were not met with instant success or acceptance. I believed we would open our doors and the gift of tirelessly working on a product that was far superior to anyone’s in the market was enough to be successful; however, I was mistaken. In 2013 Miami’s culinary scene was not as developed as it is today and the market did not crave growth instead it met us skepticism and very little support. After the first few months my wife and I decided to simply do whatever it took to grow our business and establish ourselves we ended up simply working seven days a week open to close either cooking or serving every customer that walked into our business and were able to create a relationship with them.

Stanzione 87 – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We at Stanzione 87 we specialize in creating artisanal Neapolitan pizza. We have a beautiful location in Miami with a strong wine selection as well a rotating list of Natural wines. At Stanzione 87 you will find a restaurant that has been touched with love from curating each playlist to the menu every detail and decision has been taken with care. I believe our involvement in every stage of the process and management of our business sets us apart as an organization. As a restaurant, our superior technique, knowledge, and product selection sets us apart. I am most proud that we were able to keep our dream alive. We were faced with countless challenges from almost non-existent media support to our street being closed for over a year due to the construction of Brickell City Center. I am very proud to have had a partner that gave me the strength to have the determination to keep pushing forward, never compromise on our concept, and now seeing all of the concepts that resemble what we have been doing for over five years makes me extremely proud.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Our small idea has created a business that is now leading to new opportunities where we can keep creating and grow our company hiring more people and supporting more families which I believe is the most beautiful aspect of any business.

Contact Info:

• Address: 87 SW 8th St Miami FL
• Website: www.stanione87.com
• Phone: 7863601852

Image Credit:
Katie Burton , Cesar Vega

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