5.4 Cafe Capri

Transcript

Welcome to Coffee Talk.

Coffee Talk is a podcast about event related topics

sprinkled with vivid opinons from the comfort of our amazing event facility,

the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center at Texas A&M University

and the Bush School of Government and Public Service.

oohh. Yeah. Breathe.

Each week we are here to share, educate and enlighten

you on what is going on in the events industry today.

Tomorrow. Yesterday.

And way down in the future.

Oh, yeah.

Welcome.

Today, we're here with Rami at Caffe Capri.

You got it.

Welcome. Thanks for being here, Hes like, questioning.

Yeah.

Where are we going with this? Yeah.

So how long?

We're just going to jump right now?

How long have you been in this space?

Almost 27 years. Wow. Next month.

I did not realize that.

I didn't think. It's a big number to say out loud.

Yeah. Yeah.

That's exciting. That's amazing. Yeah.

How long does it take?

It's like seven.

More than half my life I've been here.

It's a big number to say out loud. That's. Yeah.

How long has this upstairs kind of meeting venue space?

A few years after I opened.

It was just like a storage room before, so was kind of dark and grungy.

And I slowly fixed it up and just had a bonus space to the downstairs.

Awesome. Awesome.

Do you ever use this for open seating at the restaurant or.

I don't, because my kitchen's really small downstairs and it's first to be a lot.

So the kitchen and then it just doesn't it wouldn't feel as cool.

So I kind of like being busy and having a wait as I just opened

this up and I wouldn't have a wait and it wouldn't feel as special.

Okay. Yeah.

I like it. For two reasons. Okay.

I'm okay with that.

I'm okay waiting. The Pasta’s good. Yeah.

I mean, when the food is good, it’s worth the wait

Exactly.

So what type of events have you had up here?

So we do a lot of rehearsal dinners.

So those are seems to be the Friday business.

So rehearsal dinners are pretty popular.

We hold on to 60 people, just a good number.

We do a lot of end of year

and type banquets for school organizations, things like that.

So that seems to be our bread and butter right there.

So what's up here? Awesome.

And 60 is a good number.

I think so, yeah. It's comfortable.

You still have room to mingle

and still a lot of people, you're totally separated from the downstairs.

Yeah. So you really can't hear anything?

No, not at all. Yeah. Yeah.

Once you have the music on your private

So you walk through the downstairs, but then you'll never know.

Well, do you ever open up the back door so people don't have

to come to the restaurant? I don't know. No.

Again, it kind of.

Feels like a. Secret.

Like secret from like going upstairs.

Yeah, exactly.

The secret place. So nobody else knows about it?

Yeah.

Do you would you hold meeting?

I do.

Yeah, I do that.

And that's food or no food type of meetings.

Like I had one last month from a school.

They're just wanting to get away from school. Sure.

They came here for two days,

came downstairs to have lunch during the break,

and then just came up here and use the room.

So yeah, it works out good for that too again, because it's private and quiet.

So is that do you I'm assuming you guys do bring food up here.

We do. Okay.

I like the idea better of going downstairs for lunch, then coming back.

It's like taking a break.

It's like, yeah, yeah.

Probably easier for you anyway.

Things like that.

Yeah, for rehearsals and stuff.

Everything's up here. Yeah.

So that works out.

We have our own staff

that comes up just to work these events during those type of things.

Oh, and so you also do offsite catering?

We do.

How big of a party do you do?

Depends on when and where.

So we don't we try not to go over about 100.

That seems to be our comfort spot because there's people

that call for 2 to 300 that just seems like work.

So I really want your business, but I don't want to.

Mess that. Up.

I take that. Motto.

No, it's really scary.

I mean, that's a lot of responsibility.

But about 100 people or less, we can totally handle it.

We can do that in addition to our normal business on that night.

Yeah. We offer most of the menus for that.

Do you do plated and buffet or just buffet for what?

Yeah, for. Us.

We don't have staff.

They go out and wait tables, so it's pretty much just drop, set up and go.

That. Kind of thing.

Just because we don't keep a big enough crew to have just full service.

Okay.

Casual so doesn't work for everybody, but it works for a lot of people.

Yeah. Yeah.

We have a lot more people that are willing to do that now,

which is like, well, COVID definitely.

Oh, I keep saying this, but COVID changed a lot for the whole world.

But it's good because it's opened their eyes to other options.

Agreed.

And it's been really nice. I mean, we've had to adapt.

We are very like strict by certain things.

And now, like,

especially with T.J., forcing a lot of things like we've had to adapt.

It's not forcing. Yeah, it's criticizing.

That makes me feel for so then I change the policy.

Yeah. That's just my process. Yeah, I know.

I can just listen to you, girls.

Keep it going. This is fun.

So do you do.

Would you do, like, a box hot meal?

We can do either one.

So again, during COVID, we did that for the first time.

I think a lot of places at A&M,

instead of just doing platters, they wanted individual boxes.

Sure. Which we didn't do. But it worked out really well.

It's easy.

And I think it kind of is nice.

Instead of going and sharing

with 30 of your favorite coworkers, just take your own plate

Go back to your Yeah, leave.

Basically having enough time with you.

But I mean, that would be that's a great option for, you know,

like new student orientation week where you have your grab

and go stuff versus like a sandwich or something. Yes.

Or big thing of pasta that. Yeah, yeah.

And it looks good.

And you kind of get to choose what you want

and the grab and go thing is huge.

Yeah, I love it. I'm here for that.

So if somebody wanted to reserve the space, how would they do that?

We do everything online just because we have a booking calendar

that takes the dates and takes them off the calendar

so they can call us for all the information.

But then they just go to our website Caffecapri.com with to us and book it there.

Okay.

Is it the same process for catering requests?

It is, except again, call us first to make sure that dates

are available because a catering dates are not on the website.

So it's just again, depends on

if it's like Ring Day, for example, and you need a big catering.

Problem or on first friday.

Exactly.

We've done some first fries, but again, depends on the time. Yes.

So we just don't want to overwhelm our kitchen and cooks

so we want to provide good. That's a responsibility.

So that's nice.

Caring about your employees.

So nice they take care of Me. Why are you looking at me?

Excuse me. I need a mental health day.

Yeah, not me.

You This is good, Just pan the camera there

Tomorrow, they're going to start asking you questions.

But this is the office every day. Yeah. Awesome.

It's intense

It's something.

So, what?

You've been doing this for 27 years.

Did you do anything before I.

Went to school, I was a college kid

I opened three months after I graduated A&M, so I was just 22.

So yeah, I waited tables before, but nothing like this.

So I learned on the fly by opening a restaurant.

Awesome, fantastic. Yeah.

I wish I had.

I wish I had any drive that anybody we talk to has.

I was 22.

I was naive and fearless, so.

I was okay at 22, I wasn't like that.

My drive was to just like, Can I make it through today?

am i surviving today? That changed a little bit. Yeah. Okay.

I guess Just a smige of your work.

Can I keep this little, tiny human alive?

Yes. So food is in your family?

It is, right? Yeah. So that helps.

Yeah.

Like the love of food, because I'm sure you had to have that.

Exactly. And the knowledge of how to cook.

So yeah.

So I got some basic recipes from my parents when I first started

because I didn't know how to cook.

So I got the sauces from my mom and dad and just basic platters.

And then when I started cooking, I just created things and put everything

that they gave me but just put a twist on it and made my own menu.

thats the way I learned.

So yeah, and I grew up

working in their restaurants, so I waited tables since I was 12,

so I knew that side of it and I kind of knew what I wanted to do

and what I didn't want to do just from learning, which is normal.

Yeah. Yeah.

That's what I always try to tell people is half

the battle is knowing what you don't want to do. Absolutely.

Yeah, because that's a hard thing to learn.

Well, sometimes it just takes being that experience

to figure out that you don't do it.

And a lot of people don't have the opportunity to find out when they're 12.

Yeah, right.

That's my big thing on internships.

Totally aside, get an internship and figure out

I don't want to do this for my life.

They should have been on our closing season

Yes. Do you have an internship program?

Yeah. Do you have an internship program?

Don't they just come in and get a job and call it an internship?

I if you like it, it's great.

It's, you know, don't call it an internship.

I'm not going to read your resume. I

don't call me for.

I think a do or dont, you know.

That's fantastic

Yes, yeah, that's great.

Yeah. Yeah.

What so is capacity 60 or what is capacity.

60. Up here. Okay.

It's comfortable, there's room for more.

But like this area where we're doing, it's just hanging out,

mingling over there by the bar, same thing.

Just mingle area and then just seat it over here so it gives room to walk around.

I don't want. Yeah, yeah.

Well and also if somebody was having a meeting

and they brought in like a projector and screen, they could put it on this thing.

Which we have. You don't even have to bring it.

Perfect timing. Just start with that question.

Yeah, yeah.

And then just face it this way and yeah, and you don't need a microphone.

I don't like it from up here. Yeah.

You know, unless you have a real rowdy group, maybe.

They haven't had one. provide a cowbell

more cowbell?

Yeah, you bring it, get people's attention.

Is that what we do at work?

No, no, we used to have chime

Yeah, a chime

Yeah. It's a really.

Degrading way to call your staff.

Think it. Is. It's a cattle call.

Picturing cows having to. Eat.

Yeah, it's like a chime in.

I hated it.

And my our former director, he very old school

and that's how they signal it was like ding these.

Kind of nice in theory.

So the people are so loud they can't hear.

You mean like whacking the thing before someone finally is like, Oh, hey,

we got to go in this.

So there goes the niceness of the time.

We're better off just walking around encouraging people to go into the idea,

I don't wanna be cattle called

I would actually go the opposite direction or stand there for purpose.

So we know a lot of how you think now.

Absolutely.

Just for spite you would sit. Absolutely.

Until somebody came to get you.

Probably they probably just leave you there.

We would just leave her there.

T.J., for sure. Yes, she. Certainly does go.

Yeah.

Anyways, sorry.

Well, that's exciting.

What is your most favorite dish on your menu?

Chicken parmesan all day long.

I'll eat it twice a day if I right. If I could, I could.

But I would eat it twice a day. So bar none.

That's my craving spot here.

I have been here before.

I have a lot.

Well, your.

Favorite things you'll tell me after lunch today.

Is the eggplant parmesan.

And by the way, which is Barbara Bush's favorite this year.

Oh, really? Oh, Okay. I feel like I

feel like.

That's the only famous fact I have about any of our dishes.

Just let me know. Oh, so it.

Should be on a plaque. So that. Should be. Yeah.

A picture of her eating it? No.

Or like a little asterisks on the menu and then on the bottom to put.

A. Change up for my next.

Presidential approved. I like it.

That is perfect. Yeah, I like that.

We like that.

Other plates, it's always like, oh, we fed the president.

Oh, I like how you don't name names.

Yeah, if you really want. We're not calling out. Yeah.

Oh, good grief.

Sorry, Michael.

I might have to step off camera.

that conerstation and laugh?

Yeah. Okay.

Okay.

The lobster ravioli.

Oh, yeah, that one. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah,he asked a question i, i'm sorry. I got distracted.

It took you year that you got it. Don't worry.

You Were. lobster ravioli.

Yes, that would be my second favorite Deep in thought.

Yeah. Amazing.

I just keeping them right now.

It might break my no food. Who's that guy?

Can you explain the picture?

Well, it's an old waiter that was here for like 20 years,

and he passed away in 2019, but he was this was like his career place.

And he took he did a photo shoot here.

So it's like you saw him.

I mean, he loved this place, so he tattooed one day.

It's it's kind of funny. He came to me because look what I got.

he got Caffe Capri tattooed on his arm ceroni,

which is my last name in the middle and then best friends.

So that's job security.

That's amazing.

That's really great.

He didn't. Ask me. I know, I know.

I threatened to change

the name of the restaurant, but yeah, that's literally devotion.

So I was here 20 years.

That's amazing. So he deserves a picture up here?

Yeah, exactly.

He's is several pictures around. Yeah, exactly.

Yes. That's wonderful.

I feel like he waited on my mom and I. When we came.

Like that, people remembered him.

He definitely had personality and a character.

Yeah.

My mom loves this place

every time when she comes down, like we said, Italian place.

in Bryan, you always take me to.

mom you need to learn the name Its important

You learn the name. Well.

This town has acquired

lots of Mexican food restaurants and lots of Italian restaurants.

Okay.

And he's not agreeing with you.

He just said, okay.

Well, I.

Mean, I did I agree to ask the Mexican restaurant.

He would just love.

Mexican always new Italian places opening up, like especially in College Station.

I hear in College Station.

There's one that opened.

Just when I'm with you, I need a name. All of them.

No. This is my interview we are not going to name them

So I've been

here for 17 years and 18 years on and off.

And since then they have grown. Yes.

You know, I mean, you get like the occasional steakhouse restaurant.

You know, whatever.

I don't usually last long, but whenever people ask me, like, where do I eat?

Because I've worked in hotels and bars and things like that, where should I go?

Where should I go?

Cafe Capri for the best Italian.

Yeah.

I like it. Because.

Thank you.

And I feel like it's my. Yeah, she loved this place.

It's more. It's classic with a twist.

That's.

Did you say that or did.

I think people said that. That's awesome.

That's really good. And if you didn't.

Hear about it, you got your recipes from,

you know, your parents and you put a twist on them.

So it's classic with the twist. Exactly.

And you can't beat that.

Thank you.

All right. You just you just can't. I agree.

I know.

It's like the dip for the bread.

Yeah, it's one of my favorites.

Oh. I could just eat that. Yeah.

I do sometimes it's from time to time.

But you know, I mean you get all these places that are

trying to, you know, Cajun, Italian or, you know, like different things.

It's like, why are you ruining a good thing?

Don't ruin a good thing, right?

Let's make it a little better.

Yeah, yeah.

So, like, chicken parmesan bringing up that story.

So it always comes with spaghetti, like, everywhere you go.

And it used to on my place, but I took my daughter to New York

and she was in a pasta kick or pizza kick.

So we're looking at websites and every Italian restaurant,

we're looking at

that chicken parmesan on spaghetti, which was I want to twist it around.

And so I came back and changed it around.

So I put tortellini instead of spaghetti because I like tortellini.

It's different than spaghetti. And that's the way that twisted.

Yeah because my daughter.

And I and I like the tortellini

Me too I think that's one thing that you get a lot from Italian food

is the historical family part of how much the family's involved

and that's I agree with you the classic part.

But that's one thing I absolutely love

is that with Italian food, there's always a story.

There's always a good story. It's, you know, it's always family.

It goes deep into the roots of the family usually.

So, I mean,

when I leave Italian restaurants like I am,

you might as well just roll into the car

because I want to inhale everything, because it is just so you feel it.

When you eat it,

you feel the family dynamic coming into you and all the years I'm.

Going to start stealing that too. So thank you.

I'm taking notes here.

So is it Italian food or Sicilian food?

The Italian all the way?

Yeah. Sicilian food is whole different world. Yes. Yeah.

That might be

his next venture, the Sicilian food.

Where he doesn't have roots in it that owns them.

I'm sure you know, different language.

I don't even understand their language.

So, yeah, it's a whole different world.

My great grandmother is Sicilian and she used to always say

Sicily is like they took Italians, put them on an island,

gave them all knives, and were like, okay, there you go.

And I was like, the.

what were they doing with. Knives? Yeah.

I was thinking.

It was like waiting. For the story to stop.

I don't know. That was it probably a good thing.

I always asked her, like, Well, what does that mean?

And she's like, they're just more

they're more aggressive with everything than the Italians know.

Like the Italians are the classic culture.

And I was like, Well, what's wrong Sicilians?

It's like they have cultures like this.

Different, different.

And she never explained that.

So 94 years old and she passed away and she never.

What percentage Sicilian, are you? Yeah.

So you got to make your own story.

I would have to. Make your own story.

Go to Sicily. Make it research. Yeah. Yeah.

We very disappointed by.

Sure, not everybody had a knife on them which I'm sure

It took bad twist didnt it

sorry Oh man.

Well it's that was how she you know, that's how she was raised

like when they came over and all of her family and everything.

I mean, they never forgot.

Like, you have to be more aggressive and louder and.

And Italians are pretty loud in general.

So louder than Italians at something.

Yes. Yeah.

So there's always, you know, there's always interesting.

I agree.

But yeah, I mean.

all interviews should be like this.

This is much.

Better. Nervous for nothing. Exactly. Now uncomfortable.

Yeah. We try to make it fun. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

It comes out.

Yeah, it'll be good.

He does. Good job editing

good job, thank you

my story. He's going to get edited out.

Like running around with knives.

And it's like a good segue now.

The Segway to nothing.

Because it was a sad story, though.

Yeah, I always say, like the most random

things about, you know, her family and the way they were.

And it's like little scared.

People are scared of you. That's fine.

They can just by the way, even though it's getting edited out, she's continuing.

Yeah. Sorry.

Is gives him more things to edit

if you’re going to edit, I am going to give something to edit

Well, why don't you show us your space?

Okay, there's, like, bar back there, kind of like, take a little tour.

We're walking.

We're walking, we are walking.

Let's walk off these couches.

Thanks for joining us this week on Coffee Talk.

Make sure to visit our website APCC.TAMU.EDU

where you can subscribe to the show on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

You'll never miss an episode.

While you're at it.

If you enjoy the show, tell your friends about us

or just drop us a comment and let us know how we're doing.

And if there's a local space we should check out.

I'm Sarah.

And I'm t.j. Thanks for listening.

5.4 Cafe Capri

Tracy "TJ" Hefti

Rami Cerone

Sarah Chrastecky

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