It may seem like a simple matter to have a really serious kitchen as part of a market devoted to fresh Italian food. From pasta to soup, it goes without saying that this kind of asset would be standard for such an undertaking.
But the truth of the matter is that a serious commercial kitchen can cost these days about the same as a mid-sized house on the Eastern Shore. When you add the costs of professional-grade stoves, ranges, and mixers, as well as the significant changes in gas and electrical lines, the capital outlay is far too great for many.
And this was the case for Piazza Italian Market. Financially prevented from having their own kitchen, Piazza has spent the last seven years going from one rental kitchen to the next to produce their highly praised prepared foods and lunch fare. Not only was this a logistical nightmare, but it put a significant cap on what they could create and how much they could produce.
Not anymore. With the new year comes a new kitchen for Piazza and owner Emily Chandler. Located only a few blocks from Piazza’s retail store at Talbottown Shopping Center, this new investment corresponds to Emily’s optimism about the future of a high-quality Italian market on the Mid-Shore. In her Spy interview, Emily talks about life before and after the store had a kitchen to call her own, as well as her decision to keep Piazza’s retail space small.
This video is approximately four minutes in length
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