We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amanda Polizzi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I worked in my past field and career of 15 years as a photo agent for fine art fashion photographers. Previous to that I had always envisioned myself working in the food/beverage/hospitality world. Through lots of European travel, exposure to art, culture, food, wine and beautiful worldly atmospheres- the longing to engulf in my own creativity began to creep back in. I fell in love with the culture and tradition of Aperitivo in Italy, Tapas/Pinxtos in Spain, The French Aperitif & cafe culture, also wine tasting in the most amazing and authentic ways possible. I knew I wanted to bring these feelings home and share them with all of my friends, and beyond.
During the covid lockdown in NYC I had my first child, we moved to the suburbs and within a year I had my second child. Appreciation for life in general and recognizing through growth that it’s most important to really live the life I want to live just helped me decide that now was the right time to pursue my passion and to try to translate that into my work.
Last Winter my husband and I shared a bottle of wine late night, that transported us back to one of our favorite wine bars in Milan, we began brainstorming about how we could recreate such a feeling over and over again.. the rest is kind of history. At that moment, it was not realistic for Apero to be a brick and mortar, and the concept of, “brining the feelings of Apero”, to our customers’ events or homes is really something special. We like to connect with our clients to understand what they want their events to feel like, what they want their guests to experience, and then we get to tailor uniquely, every time.
The idea of a Vespa rolling into your event serving spritz on tap is really fun, we love to make the Vespas and also our setups without the Vespas even more visually and aesthetically appealing by incorporating florals and fruit into our presentation. We hand pick our pairing offerings, incorporating some of our favorite drinks & snacks we’ve experienced at home and abroad. We always try to incorporate visuals, tastes, smells, and an interactive-ness with our bevs, bites and presentations that create a true sensory experience. We will tailor our cocktails/mocktails and wine selections to the seasons, always passionate about introducing authentic and also unfamiliar aperitvi & vino. Our clients trust in our recommendation, and we treat each and every beverage and bite as fine sipping, fine nibbling, always presenting with flair!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Amanda, founder & creative director of Apero. Business owner, wife, mom of 2 toddlers and a fur baby. I was previously midway through and very dedicated to my career. Then the world changed, and our everyday life changed, so I decided to finally take the chance to work for myself. I had been dreaming up the ever evolving concept of Apero for many years. I could never just pin point exactly what it was I wanted the project to be. In a way it’s still as such, and that’s why I love to use the words ever evolving, as we are always learning, growing and inspired. I believe there’s so much more to come for Apero!
Inspired by the art of Italian aperitivi hour, travel, wine and food culture. Apero is a mobile beverage catering service, providing bar set ups, mobile wine tastings, we also offer fun event add ons such as, bar bites, spritz towers, design/decor, etc.
The name Apero, is short for the word, Aperitivo, in Italian, or the French, Aperitif, (the word apero is used for short in both cultures), the literal translation is, “to open”, and refers to the beverage used to open your appetite at that cherished time just before dinner. It’s more than just a, “happy hour”, or an appetizer. In Europe, the art of apero is a whole culture not just a spritz on the beach, (although that can be just as fantastic).
Our aim is to bring the destination feeling to you, with our vintage Vespa bars & set ups, the vibe is authentic and upscale. Although we focus on aperitivi and vino, we are not limited to serving these beverages. We have a strong focus on sustainability as well, every vessel we use for service, (cups, vases, serve ware, utensils etc), are all compostable, re-usable or upcycled. We are also working to compost any leftover food or florals we can.
Our beverage program is diligently focused. We test new and seasonal recipes persistently, sourcing the best ingredients we can find. We research first hand here and abroad for inspiration, attend classes and tastings constantly so that we are always aligned with serving the best. While thinking of the beverage program and aspect of quality wine, I took on a partner, Joseph Twomey, an avid collector with a focus on Italian wine. Joe brings his refined palate, and deep wine/spirit knowledge to Apero. With Joe on the team we curate wine lists ranging from famed varietals, to smaller artisanal, family run producers. This is an asset to our business. Not only is the concept fun, it truly has an authentic sense of quality. Apero now also offers at home wine tastings and cocktail classes for more intimate experiences, learning and discussing in a casual, comfortable environment.
I am also currently studying the WSET, The Wine & Spirit Education Trust, something I have wanted to do before I took my first internship in my 20s. It’s amazing where life takes you. I’m truly proud that even after an amazing experience in my first career working with world renowned photographers, fashion brands, and publications that I am right back to where I initially wanted to be. Now with a different and more complex perspective. I treat any beverage or bite of food as an artist would treat their subject, and I think that’s what helps us stand apart!
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
Apero is a love letter to the travels discovered and spent with my husband through various stages in our relationship. Before marriage, before children and after. He truly understood the concept as it was being conceptualized and has been extremely supportive in helping this mechanically come to life every step of the way. Although he’s not technically a co-founder and has his own success in his personal career, he’s absolutely my business confidante!
The decision to take on a partner came organically, as my partner Joe, is our brother in law. We had been enjoying geeking out over wine, attending tastings and fine dining restaurants together on double dates for 10+ years. It was always a favorite past time for us all, so when I had the idea to expand our Vespa fleet to have a rosé themed Vespa bar, I naturally brought that idea to Joe. As a wine enthusiast, he was excited about the idea and we happily joined forces!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Through previous work experience I can appreciate all types of personalities, being client and artist facing required confidence, lots of patience, negotiation skills and transparent/effective communication skills. These are all traits that gave me the foundation I needed to build up my own business.
Experience in the art & advertising world also trained my eye and helped me recognize importance of visual aspect and aesthetic presentation for brands and marketing. This absolutely helps when you have a vision and are trying to build a brand from scratch. Of course, with tools like instagram we can document and showcase it for all to see & share.
We believe in the quality of the products we present. We believe in being kind and grateful. We are so appreciative to anyone who follows our work or inquires for an event. We are doing what we love, so it’s really done with passion and ease. To be recognized for something you create, it is truly humbling. I have always enjoyed hosting, and creating so this is the best of both for me, I think the passion behind the concept and sharing it for all to love truly radiates. When clients have a great experience, they spread the word!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aperovespa.com
- Instagram: @aperovespa
- Facebook: Apero Vespa
- Linkedin: Amanda Polizzi