Incredible Service!

Bear with me as I tell a story that should wow you a bit, but takes a bit to get going.

The other day I went to Salvatore's, an Italian Restaurant on the corner of Baxter and Princess Anne in Virginia Beach.  The food was great.  Vouching for this place, I've even heard of some people talking about how the pizza there is their favorite (I didn't try it), but I figure this is probably amplified by the fact that Salvatore's makes their mozzarella cheese fresh.  But that's not the reason why I am writing the article (the title is a bit of a giveaway here); it was the service.  I don't think I've ever received more hospitality at a restaurant before in my life.

Admittedly, there wasn't anything at Salvatore's that initially impressed me that much.  It seemed like the stereotypical NYC style pizzeria NOT located in NYC.  But my impression began to change as soon as the wait staff started coming to my table.  They were well trained, attentive, polite and genuinely seemed as though they liked working there.  Even though they were very busy (the restaurant was packed), my water was almost continually being filled by the various people that tag-teamed our table (I drink a lot, quite rapidly).  

But those things didn't wow me.  I started being impressed when my first free appetizer was brought out-garlic knots.  No reason given as to why.  Just Italian hospitality I suppose.  The owner, Gabrielle I believe was his name, is Italian, and he likes to run his restaurant with satisfied customers it would seem.  

We (I was meeting with some fellow youth ministers) ordered our food, which included mozzarella cheese fries for an appetizer, and then we talked for awhile.  Honestly, it wasn't really a long period of time that went by when the owner came out with his arms full of bruschetta appetizers.  He gave one to our table, explaining that they were really busy and they didn't want us going hungry.  Take note: that was free appetizer number two.  

Then our lunch comes.  With it, our waitress explains that they are backed up in the kitchen and that our mozzarella fries will be on the house.  That's free appetizer number three.  I keep watching the owner throughout this process.  He's welcoming the customers, giving some of them hugs, some of them kisses on the cheek, having conversations and distributing free food.  These people are getting up out of their seats to say hi to him; they're excited to see him!  At one point, he was at a table with a lot of elderly women and he was personally refilling all of their wine glasses with a nice dessert wine.  It was no wonder as to why there were no seats available.  This man knew how to run a restaurant!

We didn't quite finish all our food.  The fries were too much.  Besides, we decided to eat the FREE cannoli that were brought to our table instead.  FREE.  

It's possible that the owner was simply trying to get me and others to talk about his restaurant, and that's why he was so nice.  But watching him, this guy didn't seem like a fake at all.  He was the real deal, and I think that everyone in his restaurant could tell.  Genuine hospitality that genuinely cares about the customer-that's how you run a restaurant.