Meet Matteo Zacchino
We had the good fortune of connecting with Matteo Zacchino and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Matteo, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Based on everything I know about you—your upbringing between Italy and Germany, growing up in your grandparents’ and parents’ restaurants, your commitment to preserving Italian culinary heritage, your experience rebuilding your life after divorce, and your philosophy that hospitality is an act of love rather than simply commerce—this is the answer I think genuinely reflects your story.
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What was your thought process behind starting your own business?
For me, it never really began with the idea of starting a business. It began with continuing a family legacy.
I was born into the restaurant industry. My grandparents and parents taught me that a restaurant is much more than a place where food is served—it is where families gather, conversations happen, traditions are preserved, and strangers become friends. From a very young age I learned that hospitality is an expression of love.
As life unfolded, I realized that I wasn’t simply interested in making a living. I wanted to build something that reflected who I am and what I believe.
When I came to the United States, I saw tremendous appreciation for Italian food, but I also saw that much of what people considered “Italian” had drifted far from its authentic roots. Rather than criticize it, I saw an opportunity to become a steward of the culture I grew up with.
That became the foundation of Vespa Healthy Italian Café.
Our mission has never been to reinvent Italian cuisine. It has been to honor it. Whether it’s serving authentic Pinsa Romana, educating guests about the Italian espresso ritual, or sourcing traditional ingredients, every decision asks one simple question:
“Would my grandparents recognize this as genuine?”
Entrepreneurship, to me, is not about chasing money. Profit is necessary because it allows the mission to continue, but purpose has always come first.
Today I see myself as building something much larger than a restaurant. I want to create a company that preserves culture, develops extraordinary hospitality professionals, and proves that authenticity is still a competitive advantage in business.
At the end of the day, my greatest hope is that people don’t simply remember what they ate at Vespa. I hope they remember how they felt while they were there.
Because food fills the stomach, but genuine hospitality stays with people for a lifetime.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Vespa Healthy Italian Café was never meant to be “just another Italian restaurant.” It was created as a way of preserving and sharing a culture that has been part of my family for generations.
I was fortunate to grow up in my family’s restaurants in Italy and Germany, where I learned that hospitality isn’t a transaction—it’s a relationship. My grandparents taught me that every guest should be welcomed as though they were entering our own home. That philosophy continues to guide every decision we make today.
When I moved to the United States, I recognized an opportunity to introduce people to a more authentic expression of Italian cuisine. Rather than reinvent tradition, our mission has always been to honor it. From serving genuine Roman Pinsa, fermented for more than 72 hours, to preserving the ritual of Italian espresso, every detail reflects the values I grew up with.
What sets Vespa apart isn’t just the food—it’s the experience. We don’t believe we’re simply serving meals; we’re creating moments where people slow down, connect, and feel genuinely cared for. Our motto, “Food is our Love Language,” isn’t marketing. It’s how we approach hospitality every single day.
The journey certainly hasn’t been easy. Like many entrepreneurs, I’ve experienced financial uncertainty, personal setbacks, and the daily challenges of building and leading a business. But those experiences have taught me resilience, humility, and the importance of never compromising your values for short-term success.
Today, I’m most proud of building something that reflects who I am. Vespa has become more than a restaurant—it is a place where Italian heritage is celebrated, where our team grows professionally and personally, and where guests leave feeling that they were welcomed into our home rather than simply served a meal.
Looking ahead, my vision extends beyond one café. I hope to expand Vespa thoughtfully while preserving the same authenticity, warmth, and respect for tradition that inspired it from the very beginning. My goal has never been to build the biggest restaurant company. It has always been to build one that people genuinely trust, remember, and feel connected to.
Ultimately, I believe the future of hospitality isn’t about doing more—it’s about caring more. That’s the legacy I hope Vespa continues to leave for generations to come.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Maybe I’m a little biased, but the first stop would naturally be a traditional Italian cappuccino and cornetto at Vespa Healthy Italian Café. In Italy, that’s the breakfast of champions. It’s simple, elegant, and says everything about slowing down to enjoy life’s little rituals.
I always encourage visitors to make that morning cappuccino and cornetto part of their daily routine while they’re in Sedona. In Italy, these small rituals aren’t just about coffee and pastry—they’re about beginning the day with intention, taking a moment to connect, and appreciating life’s simple pleasures. It’s amazing how quickly that little tradition becomes something people genuinely look forward to each morning.
In fact, many of our guests return almost every day during their stay. Some stop in for their morning cappuccino, others come back for lunch, and many return again in the evening to share dinner with family and friends. I’d like to think that’s my grandparents still whispering through our hospitality, reminding people that the best meals are never just about the food—they’re about making people feel at home.
Then I’d insist on returning for dinner. Vespa transforms in the evening. The lights dim, the music changes, conversations linger a little longer, wine begins to flow, and the atmosphere takes on an entirely different personality. Our purpose never changes—we’re still caring for our guests with the same sincerity—but hospitality simply wears a different outfit. The experience becomes more intimate, more celebratory, and a little more romantic. I love watching guests realize they’re not visiting a different restaurant, just another expression of the same heart.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If I could dedicate this journey to anyone, it would first be to my grandparents and parents.
They didn’t simply teach me how to cook—they taught me that hospitality is an act of love. I grew up watching them welcome complete strangers into our restaurants as if they were guests in our own home. Those lessons became the foundation of everything I believe today.
I’d also like to thank my father, Leonardo. Building a family business is rarely easy, and like many fathers and sons, we’ve had our challenges. But through those experiences I inherited not only a business, but a responsibility to preserve our family’s name, values, and Italian heritage for future generations.
My greatest teachers, however, have been my two sons, Sebastiano and Dante. Becoming a father changed my definition of success. They constantly remind me that the most important legacy we leave isn’t measured by revenue or expansion—it’s measured by the example we set through our character, integrity, and love.
I would also be remiss not to acknowledge the teachers who have shaped my inner life. My journey through yoga, Vedanta philosophy, and Sanatana Dharma has taught me that work itself can become a form of service. That perspective influences every decision I make, both personally and professionally.
Finally, I’d like to recognize every employee, guest, mentor, friend, and even every hardship I’ve encountered. Success is never built alone. Every meaningful relationship, every setback, every difficult season, and every person who believed in me helped shape the man and entrepreneur I am today.
If there is one lesson my life has taught me, it is this: we may own our businesses, but none of us owns our success. It is something we build together, one relationship at a time.
Website: https://vespaitaliancafe.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vespaitaliancafe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VESPAITALIANCAFE
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
