Qualitaly_117

JUN. JUL. 2020 VI MAGAZINE and their criticalities in depth. For some decades now, almost all of Italy’s historic centres have become mainly tourist destinations, in fact, most of their homes have been turned into B&Bs or other commercial activities, and in this moment of uncertainty bars and restaurants are seriously compromised because almost all events, to avoid crowds, are diverted to the outskirts of the cities. Aldo Cursano says: “We have to work hard to revive our historic centres and above all to prevent our economic activities from collapsing completely. I believe that the principle of using public places to encourage the enjoyment of sociality in external places should have a national vision and everyone should apply it, considering common sense, without neglecting the fragility or the balance of the context where it should be placed. Venice, for example, welcomes 16 million tourists a year, therefore, has its own dynamics, its own daily life and its historic centre is different from those of other cities that live only on the internal market and not on the flow of tourists. This is why the support of local administrations is also necessary to evaluate and verify the various environments. Every city has its own market and the same rules for all would be risky”. For some years now, the occupation of public land has been the subject of discussion in the Regional and Municipal Councils which, as is well known, delegated by the Government, are in charge of regulating the matter. Considering the exceptionality of the event that we are still experiencing; each municipality is trying to find appropriate solutions to overcome the crisis but above all to support the activities related to food & beverage that are increasingly difficult to move forward. Giving them an extra slice of public land to increase the number of seats is one of the most effective solutions, but it is certainly not enough. “Even if I get more outdoor space,” says Antonio Torre, “in the end, when I have to add it all up, I still register a loss; if I used to have a capacity of 60 people outside, now, with the social distancing imposed by law, I can only seat 30, I lose 50% of the seats”. In order to get everything back on track and to adopt new measures, it is necessary that nightlife and catering interface with other sectors that directly or indirectly intersect, such as: health, safety, traffic regulations and roads. In fact, in order to manage the new concessions for dehors and public spaces, at present, the local authorities also have to deal with residents of the streets and neighbourhoods where bars and restaurants are located who, in some cases, are forced to live daily with the patrons of nearby bars and restaurants who stay for lunch or dinner until late into the night. And the Municipalities, however, to mediate between one and the other, are sometimes forced to find compensatory solutions that are advantageous for the residents, who are forced to suffer the invasion of the camp. The political-economic situation in which our country finds itself, according to experts, is not at all comforting. The Italian Public Exercises Federation reports the imminent closure of about 60 thousand activities, including bars and restaurants and over 320 thousand people in the sector who will no longer be able to return to work. “We are doing the impossible to save the salvageable,” says a worried Nicola Pertuso. “We’re trying to act as facilitators for the economic coverage, giving some ‘oxygen’ to those who in recent months have not received anything from the State. We intend to break down every type and source of cost on leases, public land and business costs, to allow those who like heroes still resist to be able to ‘hook’ to the recovery when it comes”. AT PAGE 22 COVER STORY Those who have time don’t wait for it The story of a young entrepreneur who invested in his business during the pandemic, expanding and diversifying it. A good example of how to change an unfavorable period into a resource by Maria Elena Dipace It may be because in this period we are all more sensitive, it may be the desire to start again, it may be to leave behind this absurd and unexpected situation that overwhelmed us at the end of February, but we are all looking for good business stories to tell that will stimulate the whole sector. And fortunately, there are some. We liked the one Marco Cavallo told us, an ‘important’ name that reminds us of another battle, the one we all remember as the Basaglia Law, the 1978 law that introduced psychiatric reform in Italy, (better known as asylums). Marco Cavallo is a sculpture made of wood and papier-mâché that symbolises the exit of a man from the asylum and the beginning of a new life. Just like the one that this businessman with the same name told us. Let’s start from the beginning. How and when did your adventure in catering begin? I don’t really remember a precise moment, perhaps because I come from a family of restaurateurs. So it was quite natural for me to decide to undertake this career path. I started working with my father when I was very young and, even when I decided to go my own way, despite the difficulties, I never thought of doing anything else. You then launched yourself into a new challenge in the street food industry. How did the idea come about? After my previous professional experience in catering management for a professional football club, which lasted more than 10 years, I felt the need for a radical change. Throwing myself into street food was as much a necessity as it was a challenge. The need to start again immediately to do my work in close contact with people and the belief that even in a city like Milan it was possible to “ennoble” the concept of street food. Hence, the idea of the food truck in the Bosco Verticale area. What’s it called and what does it specifically consist of? Our food truck activity is called StreetGourmand. I like to call it a travelling bistro with a proposal of gourmet burgers and sandwiches. What kind of clientele have you developed and what are the biggest demands? I must say, our clientele is very diverse. Our clients are bank managers, residents of the area, managers, office workers but also students and local construction workers. Also many foreign tourists. Our menu reflects these different personalities. We range from the classic American burger for the youngest, through our vegan burgers that are highly appreciated by women and foreigners, to our sandwich with marinated horse meat and grilled Sardinian pecorino cheese for demanding palates. Having chosen such an exclusive area, you’ll also have put a lot of emphasis on the quality of the ingredients... Choosing the area was part of the challenge I was talking about earlier. Despite what one might think, it was not easy to fit into such an exclusive context. Milan is a city that really offers everything. And where the