We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Rifenberick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Andrea , appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
As an Executive Chef working long hours on my feet and never seeing my Children. I decided To jump head first into a new venture being a Sales Executive for a very large food distribution company. Time spent there gave me a very well rounded outlook on what customer expectations are. At the end of the day the consumer just wants to feel appreciated for their business. They want to support local as much as possible and have a great value for their hard earned dollar. Service with a smile never hurts. Being a master at your chosen craft sets you apart from the competition if you allow your passion to shine.
I had a professional set back in 2018 and it left me seeking a job. I had less than $2000 left to my name and a Hail Mary idea. When coming up with my concept I dug deep into what made me happy and I kept going back to a childhood memory. Every time I was sad or feeling down I would remember the time I spent in the kitchen with my Sicilian Great Grandmother making family traditional items. It was the happiest time of my life. Learning and shadowing her in her kitchen. My childhood memories of getting a Cannoli at Christmas only once a year was a gift from the heart. It was made with love for the person on the other end that would receive this glorious decadence. I knew my passion for food and family and tradition would someday be my path forward. As I sat unemployed, thinking about what was next for me… I realized, I wanted others to feel happy like I did about something I had the skill set to make. The business insight I had to create an amazing memorable experience for the customer was born when I opened Mafia Kitchen. I quickly adapted the idea to pipe cannoli to order for my guest so they could experience the excellence themselves. I was in business just shy of six months when Covid hit. It wiped my little newly created concept off the map. I thought my concept was niche and amazing. Everyone needed an authentic Cannoli in their lives. However my concept wasn’t Pandemic proof so I painted my self into a corner. I had to close up shop and find other employment. However, in 2021 I found my wing man who came into my life and he gave me encouragement that I needed to fight another day. So I picked myself up, dusted off my business plan, and attacked it at every angle. I’m proud of my determination to overcome my fear of failure and not backing down to this challenge. It’s okay to lose steam in the race as long as you never quit. We have gained traction and notoriety. We have very faithful followers within our community and we couldn’t have done it with out taking that risk not once but twice.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello, my name is Andrea Rifenberick. I am a culinary graduate of the prestigious Scottsdale, Culinary, Le Cordon Bleu. I am a certified Executive Chef with over thirty years of experience I have paid my dues in the food service industry since I was 7 years of age. I love food. I love how Food makes people feel, and I love how it brings people together. I have quite an extensive background professionally. I have cooked for many famous people and have been in many great kitchens honing my craft along the way. I became self-employed in 2019. I have overcome adversity many times and it has made me a stronger person today. I’m the proud owner of Mafia Kitchen in Tucson Az. We are a mobile Sicilian Cannoli & drink cart. We are a small operation but we pack a big punch. We strive to uphold the integrity of this traditional item utilizing the best quality ingredients we can find to give our customers the very best. “From our Kitchen with Love” is our motto and our tag line is “Leavetheguilttakethecannoli”
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
With any business, first and foremost, you have to be honest with yourself. Is this something you believe in? Is this something you can see yourself doing every day for the rest your life! That hunger to succeed is the only way you’re going to eat and feed your family. Are you going to have the strength to get up out of bed every day and never look back. Are you going to do what’s expected when no one’s there to pat you on the back and tell you you’re doing amazing?! We Get out there everyday to build our brand. We Talk about our products with everyone we meet. We treat our customers like family. In any business you have to wear every hat and you need to entrust others and empower them to be on your team. Learn and grow every step of the way and allow yourself to make mistakes and correct them in real time. Don’t put it off till tomorrow. Because what we do today affects our many tomorrows. Always plan/prepare and set yourself up for success no matter how little or how big the obstacle is at hand. We strive to build lasting relationships with everyone we work with and we have an overwhelming supportive following we couldn’t be here with out them. They are truly the best!!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is not everyone close to you wants to see you succeed and they’re not in your corner by default. Also, do not give your ideas away for free, try and keep somethings close to the vest.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: MafiaKitchen
- Facebook: MafiaKitchen
- Tiktok: @mafiakitchen21