We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachael Grossman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rachael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Strega Nonna? Like the book Strega Nona? Yes, absolutely. The children’s story, Strega Nona is a sweet story of an old Italian Grandmother Witch who would cast a spell on her magic pasta pot.

People have been calling me “Nonna” because I love to host and feed people like an Italian Grandmother. And for many years, I regretted naming my first biz Artigiano– It is hard to say, hard to spell, hard to pronounce and hard to remember. I always regretted not naming it after my nickname, Nonna. So when I bought this giant historic building in my hometown, I knew I shouldn’t make the same mistake again. But just “nonna” seemed a little bit too pretentious, too stuffy/fancy, too elegant, too perfect, too something. So one day it just clicked. Duh! Strega Nonna, like the book! Strega means witch and I also identify as a fun – loving witch, who likes to cast spells and share delicious food with the world. I loved the way it sounded, the whimsical and childlike character it added to my brand, which I am trying to make fun, colorful and inclusive for everyone.

Rachael, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Rachael Grossman. I was born and raised in a tiny Upper Peninsula town called Negaunee, Michigan. I’ve been cooking all my life and in love with food for as long as I can remember.

I learned how to cook classic French dishes from my Grandmother in her home; I’d walk to her house after school once a week as a little girl and we’d cook up everything you can imagine from Mushroom Consumee to mother sauces to three layer cakes. As soon as I finished high school, I flew to LA for Culinary School at Le Cordon Bleu. While trained in French technique, I was always drawn to the Italian table, so once I finished school I went to Italy, where I worked in a tiny mom and pop agriturismo restaurant in the country side. There I really fell in love with the rustic simplicity of Italian food, the chaotic, fun-loving culture and hospitality and found the drive to over feed everyone with an abundance of delicious food at all times.

I moved to Portland, Oregon in 2009, where I almost immediately opened my first restaurant project, Artigiano, where I served up authentic style Italian food in a sweet little outdoor courtyard space. I still host pop-up dinners there when I’m able to visit.

In 2020, I spend a big chunk of time in my hometown with family, and (maybe idiotically) decided to buy a giant old building and to start a new venture here in Negaunee. I wanted the space to be colorful, fun, vibrant and to help bring life to my little community.

Strega Nonna specializes in bringing multi-course authentic style Italian dinners served family style to the table. We also love to create other fun events like music concerts, fundraisers, special world-inspired dinners and more.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I try to post really fun videos, reals and photographs that capture the vibrant energy that I’d like to create at Strega Nonna. I find that people really respond well to silly posts, to sharing storys even outside of the restaurant, to videos of actual cooking, dancing, singing and general sillyness.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I’ve found that word of mouth is always the best way to build clientele, and if you’re patient, it will grow if you’re passionate about what you do, give it your all, and treat your clients as friends. I have found that an abundance mentality and generosity always brings growth. If your clients love a dish, bring them an extra taste. I try to create very personal connection to everyone I serve, like an italian grandmother. Get to know your guests. If I see someone on the reservation list and I know their favorite dish, I’ll make sure to have it available for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://strega.fun
• Instagram: @streganonnanegaunee
• Facebook: strega nonna

Image Credits

Sydney Jones