Meet Rocco Pezzano of SFIZIO Modern Italian Kitchen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rocco Pezzano.

Hi Rocco, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Rocco Pezzano, and I am the owner and executive chef of SFIZIO Modern Italian Kitchen. Sfizio is a tribute to my hometown and mother’s cooking, where I was raised in the Calabria region of southwest Italy right by the ocean. My culinary journey started at 16 when I enrolled in a culinary program where I knew I belonged in the kitchen. By 17, I had moved to Torino in north Italy and began working at a bakery and, shortly after, a pizzeria. In my 20s, after honing my craft in various kitchens across Italy, I moved to Arizona, where my brother had already been. Since then, I have owned and operated several restaurants valleywide, including Rocco’s Pizzeria, That’s Italiano, and more, and always stuck to my Italian roots and what I knew. I have done restaurants since I made Arizona my home in 1986, except for a 10-year break I took to be present in the lives of my two kids when they were born. After much encouragement from my kids and wife, I returned to the restaurant business. I opened SFIZIO, our neighborhood Italian concept that still carries the ethos of sticking to my Italian roots and never compromising on quality, ingredients, and authenticity.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest thing about the restaurant industry that anyone involved will tell you is the time consumption. Even though restaurants had been all I ever knew, I succumbed to taking what I thought was permanent time off from the industry to raise my kids. The hours and meticulous oversight necessary to maintain the quality and service experience I value require 24/7 dedication. Even then, there were ups and downs in every business, but I found myself called back to the industry as it is something that is held very near my heart. I couldn’t separate from the aspect of restaurants where I get to create memorable experiences for guests despite trying different business avenues during that 10-year break.

Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a family-owned, truly authentic, scratch Italian kitchen. There is no room for compromise regarding our ingredients. We value daily crafted dough, imported meats, fresh produce, and hand-crafted meals made with love. Our dishes are crafted straight from the hands of Chef Rocco Pezzano, with roots in the south of Italy, combining traditional flavors with modern cuisine whether it’s our brick oven Pizza, hand-crafted pasta, salads, bruschetta, or just sipping hand-selected wines over the excellent conversation in our cozy authentic atmosphere. “SFIZIO” in Italian means “the thing that satisfies your craving.” SFIZIO aims to offer true, authentic Italian to satisfy our guests’ cravings for something they may be longing for. Something we are uniquely proud of is to be a truly family-owned business. In today’s age, it is rare to come in and see the family physically working to serve you, which is a fantastic experience.

Chef Rocco makes no compromises on ingredients. We hand-craft our dough, pasta, and anything we can. We only source from the best local purveyors or import dozens of ingredients from Italy, including flour, tomatoes, select meats and cheeses, olive oil, and herbs. Chef Rocco and his family are in the restaurant day and night, ensuring guests can enjoy a unique experience that blends family, atmosphere, and good real food. The menu has been changed seasonally, and we have a custom-built brick pizza oven where we toss our handmade dough and craft fresh pizza. We also make fresh pasta.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When people are younger, they generally take more risks because they have a lot more time to make up for it if things don’t work out. At my age now, I think a lot longer about risks and take less because I’ve worked a lot to get where I am now, and I also have to account for my future and my family’s future. In this industry, there is always risk involved, but the fact that I had done restaurants my entire life bolstered my confidence and allowed me to make more informed decisions about what I was doing so that I could minimize those.

Contact Info:

• Website: sfizioitaliano.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfizioitaliankitchen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/SFIZIO-Modern-Italian-Kitchen/100075799135823/?paipv=0&eav=AfbND18m2P2xT84Jl26kcW0I-9SJvAn4g16H_9clscbjMmflrI1LB1mY8U-I7cP0Bvs&_rdr
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sfizio-modern-italian-kitchen-phoenix