Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Castellucci.
Stephanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started in the restaurant business at a very young age. My brothers and I are the 5th generation of restauranteurs in our family. I started off as a line cook working in my parent’s restaurant and worked my way through almost all positions in the restaurant. By the time college came around, I decided I wanted to make a career out of hospitality. I ended up going to the Hotel School at Cornell and took over our restaurant, Sugo, as soon as I graduated. We then went on to open Iberian Pig in Decatur and continued a steady growth plan to expand with different concepts throughout the city. I have been in a General Manager role along with assisting with corporate responsibilities for the last ten years. There have been many lessons along the way and really hardpoints in time but I truly love what I do. I have really enjoyed growing personally and professionally through the roles I take on.
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?
Definitely not. We went through some hardpoints personally and professionally in the early days of our company. When growing a small business, there are always points of financial tension and stress. And in restaurants, people are the most important part of the business. If you can’t find and retain great managers, servers, line cooks, hosts, and dishwashers, you will not succeed. That has been one of my biggest points of concentration over the years. Thankfully we now have great teams in place and are also in a place of financial stability, but it took time and a lot of effort to get there 🙂
Please tell us about Castellucci Hospitality Group.
I think what sets our company apart from others is our focus on sincere hospitality with both our guests and staff. We are also very hands-on in our restaurant and are present during service. Being in the dining room and interacting with guests is one of my favorite parts of my job and I’m thankful that I’m able to do that everyday.
What I am most proud of our company- we have really great people in place that truly represent our restaurants in the highest light. We’ve been able to grow in a way that is sustainable and doesn’t jeopardize quality. And we’ve been able to create many memorable experiences for our guests.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Being in my parent’s restaurant in Rhode Island- my brother and I would visit while they were at work and my dad would always let us have these warm cinnamon rolls as they came out of the oven. They were so simple but delicious. It was my first memory of being in a restaurant and receiving warm hospitality.
Contact Info:
- Address: 10305 Medlock Bridge Road
Suite A2
Johns Creek, GA 30097 - Website: chgrestaurants.com
- Instagram: @chgrestaurants
Image Credit:
Heidi Geldhauser
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
