Bedford residents and visitors don’t need a passport to experience the best food and atmosphere that Italy has to offer. A simple stroll down Pitt Street delivers it all.
Stefano Ferrari opened the LIFeSTYLE trattoria and food shop in 2007. In the intervening years, his venture has grown into a collection of businesses that now include the Next Door cafe, a gelato shop, a wine tasting room, and the Cibo Divino artisanal food distribution company that supplies restaurants and foodies throughout the United States.
Stefano’s brother, Davide, joined the operation six years ago, and the team recently expanded their horizons by partnering with other investors to open the Wild Brewing Company in Altoona and its sister business, the LIFeSTYLE Altus Brew Pub.
“Cibo Divino provides the backbone for everything we do,” said Davide Ferrari, importing and supplying the top quality products and ingredients showcased in their dining establishments.
“We attend professional food shows, meet with producers and select only the best regional specialty items,” he said, making them available for retail in the businesses they own and in their online store. “We stock everything you would find in the Italian pantry: pasta, extra virgin olive oil, salt, balsamic vinegar, rice and risottos, chocolate, appetizers, all the essentials. We’re a food boutique.”
Originally from Magenta, Italy, Stefano Ferrari moved to Bedford after marrying a Bedford County native. Now divorced, they still enjoy an amiable working relationship. Sarah Ferrari operates Sarah Ferrari Designs and designed the interiors of the Ferraris’ establishments.
Healthy menus
The Ferrari brothers found Bedford an excellent location for their import and dining businesses due to its geographic position and its popularity as a destination for vacationers and corporate retreats, which attracts customers from throughout the United States.
“Our Friday and Saturday night trattoria dinners are very popular,” Davide Ferrari said. “It’s a two- to three-hour experience dining communally with people you’ve never met before, enjoying great food made in house. Our concept is unique and reflects the experience we had growing up, our culture, and our relationship with healthy food, which is very important to us.”
LIFeSTYLE’s menu items avoid the extreme use of butter, cream, and shortenings. From the durum whole wheat pasta to the 00 Italian flour in the pizzas, along with ethically sourced local meats and fish, the focus is on quality and providing a welcome, enjoyable experience for guests, Ferrari said.
The wine tasting room also includes a food tasting menu, samples and sharables to pair with the wine on offer.
“Initially we will focus on a local selection from Pennsylvania,” Ferrari said. “We’re partnering with a winemaker whose high-end wines have consistently ranked among the top three winemakers in the state.”
Attractive concept
In total, the Ferraris support about 35 employees.
“The restaurant business is stressful, there’s a lot of turnovers and it’s consistently hard to find help, but we’ve been one of the exceptions,” Davide Ferrari said. “Our concept has been attractive to the hardworking talents that have been drawn to our team, and we’re proud of that.”
“Downtown Bedford Inc. and the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce have provided meaningful help, particularly during the pandemic,” he added.
“They and the community all joined together supporting local businesses, and we appreciated that,” he said. “This is a quiet, tidy, safe, and livable town for families. I enjoy nature and the outdoors a lot, and Bedford offers everything, even a public track at the school, along with public tennis and basketball and volleyball courts. Those things are not easy to find in Italy unless you pay for it.”
It can be difficult to juggle so many business responsibilities, he acknowledged.
“Family is a great part of who we are, historically and culturally, and without their support it would be impossible,” Ferrari said. “We’re grateful for the emotional support from my parents and our sister, my wife Erica and 14-month-old son Nico, and Stefano’s ex-wife and their two children. We couldn’t do this on our own.”
The businesses the Ferraris operate share a familial relationship of their own.
“We didn’t plan it that way, but you really could spend a whole day with us, starting with breakfast or lunch at Next Door, shopping for food, taking a break with a gelato in the afternoon, then having a glass of wine or a beer that we produce, and finishing your day with a trattoria dinner,” Ferrari said. “We cover it all and try to make sure Bedford is unique and special. It’s hard work, but like a family, everything just fits together.”