by Louisa Loring
How was this bakery born here in Florence?
It was born
from an idea my husband, Matt, mostly had, who is American. We had worked for many years in business but
then wanted to change direction and open Mama’s
Bakery because there was nothing else like this that had bagels in
Florence.
No, it was
never a dream that we had beforehand. It
was something that actually started suddenly.
So was it hard to change the type of work you
were doing all of a sudden?
Actually,
at that point we had already left our old jobs and were looking for a
substantial alternative to the typical, daily work we were doing
beforehand. And this was the decision we
decided to make.
And where does the name Mama’s Bakery come from?
We chose
the name because it is very easy to remember and a name rather known in the
United States. I had never seen any
place in any part of Italy called by a name such as this so I thought it was
perfect but mostly, because it is easy to remember. Mama is a word that also makes you think of
family and of the home and that
is what we have tried to create, a homely feeling. At this point, we have been open for about
five and a half years.
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| Bacon bagel |
The types of things you offer here such as bagels
are not at all easy to make. How did you
learn to make these types of things?
To learn
about bagels, Matt took a bagel course in the United States and then he took
another course in Italy to learn how to make other types of breads. Thus, he has used both techniques and that
which he learned over the years but also, he has learned various secrets
throughout the way.
What is the hardest part of this type of work
here? And the part most rewarding?
The
schedule and hours that are needed for the bread making. It is early; we could say even the night so
for that, it can be difficult. I would
say the management part can be hard, working with our customers I mean. The most rewarding part is at the same time
working with our customers. It is nice
interacting with them and seeing them come in and leave happy because they
don’t always come in so sure of what they will find. New clients often come in a bit unsure of
what they are getting into but they always leave with a smile on their face,
which is nice to see.
Would you say your customer base is mostly
American or Italian?
By now they
are mostly Italian. They probably make
up about 60% of our customers. Many of
them are also American students who are studying in Florence for a year and
want to come to a place where they are reminded of home.
And would you say there was a moment in which
this changed, the switch from mostly Americans to mostly Italians?
Yes, at
first, our clients were mostly only American but then slowly, we tried to break
into the Italian market and it worked.
Do you try to combine American and Italian
flavors together by reinventing a traditional American sandwich by adding an
Italian twist?
In a way
yes because there are typical Italian flavors and ingredients such as
prosciutto crudo but rather than trying to bring Italian cooking into the mix
we aim to add a more international element.
That is what we really try and focus on.
What is the best selling item on your menu?
Definitely
the bagel with lox and cream cheese and the club sandwich mainly because they
are hard to find in Florence, especially done well and here, they are very
good.
Do you have future plans for the Bakery? Maybe
intentions to open another location?
We would
consider opening another bakery but for now, we are very happy where we are and
with what we are doing. We have plenty
to keep us busy here!
To end, do you have a piece of advice for
someone who wants to open a bakery for the first time?
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