Interview with Paul Ferrari, CEO of A.G. Ferrari, San Francisco

Article published in August 2009 on the BAIA blog.

Italians living in the Bay Area are lucky. We can easily get all the ingredients for a real Italian dinner, or, if we are lazy, we can get one to take home. It’s not the big supermarkets that support our culinary traditions, nor the canned foods lined up on the shelves at the corner grocery stores. What brings us closer to Italy is Ferrari Foods, a group of high-quality Italian food stores spread throughout the Bay Area. Enter any Ferrari Foods store, and you quickly realize it’s not a well-kept secret of the Italian community. All Bay Area ethnicities are well represented among the excited customers browsing Ferrari’s delicious offerings. The person who continuously scouts Italy for the best food and the most original ideas to bring to the store is Paul Ferrari, the company’s CEO and the founder’s grandchild. I asked Paul a few questions to get his qualified opinions about his business and the status of the Italian food industry here in the USA.

The interview with Paul Ferrari

Franco Folini: Hi, Paul! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your company, Ferrari Foods?

Paul Ferrari: In 1916, my Grandfather, Annibale Giovanni Ferrari, was sent from Emilia-Romagna to live in the US at the age of 16, when my Great-Grandfather Rocco Ferrari worried that the war might claim the life of another of his sons. He worked for a while in food establishments in San Francisco. A childhood spent in the family’s gastronomia in Italy led him to open the Parisian Delicatessen in San Jose in 1919. He called it this because at the time, French food was considered the best, not Italian, though the food was, of course, Italian! The business later moved to Berkeley, in the East Bay (he always wanted to be near well-traveled university professors and students who would appreciate his food), and I grew up playing in the shop with my dad, Harold, who ran it. My taking over the business in the 1980s was the next natural progression.

In 1916, my Grandfather, Annibale Giovanni Ferrari, was sent to live in the US from Emilia-Romagna at the age of 16, when my Great-Grandfather Rocco Ferrari worried that the war might claim the life of another one of his sons.

Paul Ferrari

Franco Folini: The Italian community in the US is always struggling between old stereotypes (both positive and negative) and the new Italian reality (both positive and negative). What can we, as Italians and American-Italians, do to improve and modernize the perception of our culture in this country?

Paul Ferrari: I strongly believe that education is key. Hollywood has helped to create a lot of these stereotypes, and what many Americans consider to be “Italian” is mainly representative of the southern half of Italy. While the south is a rich and wonderful land, it is not the whole of Italy and is, of course, a very different region. Since food is my background and culture, I enjoy taking on the challenge of educating Americans through the regional food specialties we carry in our stores. Some of the items we carry even surprise Italians who may not have tried Troffie pasta from Liguria or Taralli from Puglia if they are not from these regions.

Since food is my background and culture, I enjoy taking on the challenge of educating Americans through the regional food specialties we carry in our stores.

Paul Ferrari

Franco Folini: You frequently scout Italy looking for new, delicious products to propose in your shops scattered throughout the Bay Area. How has the food offered from Italy changed in the last 15-20 years? What changes should we expect in the future?

Paul Ferrari: A new generation is starting to take over in Italy. About 15 years ago, I was worried that some of the small businesses I was working with might have an expiration date. Many were run by an older man or woman with their children and grandchildren off investigating other professions. Now I see many of these younger family members finding their niche within the family business and bringing new life to it. It’s very exciting. With them, they are bringing innovation to the tradition. We see this reflected in new and exciting food combinations, innovative packaging design, and expanding product lines. It is wonderful, though, that the focus on traditional production techniques is as strong as ever. Another changing area is that there is a huge focus in the US on organic products, local, green… many of which are ideas that are innate in Italian foods from small producers like those we work with. While previously nonexistent, marketing to this is becoming more prevalent in Italy as consumers seek official certification.

Franco Folini: The Italian food tradition is based on small producers and local traditions. This doesn’t align well with the American approach, which is more focused on large corporations and a large, homogeneous market. Can Italian products thrive and succeed in the US on a larger scale?

Paul Ferrari: Yes, I believe so, but I feel we are looking at two different markets. Italian foods offer simplicity and health, two key factors for Americans when they shop. Many US consumers are looking for pasta, olive oil, vinegar, and sauces imported from Italy, which, thanks to big brand names, are often cheaper than domestic brands yet offer authenticity. However, there is also a separate market for high-end Italian specialty foods, including higher-quality imported cheeses, limited-production olive oils, pastas made with bronze dies, and more expensive regional specialties. These two consumers will each help Italian products thrive, but their buying patterns differ.

Many US consumers are looking for pasta, olive oil, vinegar, and sauces imported from Italy, which, thanks to big brand names, are often cheaper than domestic brands yet offer authenticity.

Paul Ferrari

Franco Folini: Ferrari Foods shops are concentrated in the Bay Area. Is there a cultural reason behind that (like a strong Italian presence), or is this a strategic decision of your company?

Paul Ferrari: We are here because Annibale Ferrari came here. We are very fortunate to be in such a food & wine-oriented part of the country, and I still see room for growth here.

Franco Folini: We often see low-quality non-Italian products sold under a supposedly Italian brand. Do you think, in the long term, this can affect the good name of genuine Italian products? How can Italy and Italians protect the reputation of their own brands and products against these cheap marketing tricks?

Paul Ferrari: This is the main reason we opened an office in Italy. This was and still is a big problem. This is the reason I am in Italy every 6-8 weeks, visiting vendors, helping with production, and making new contacts. It isn’t enough to find a producer; you must also maintain strong relationships in order to know exactly who and what you are working with.
It goes back to education as well. In our stores, we spend a lot of time educating both our staff and customers on the key differences between true Italian food products and much of what you find out there. The DOP symbol is vital to this as well, protecting products and producers’ businesses in Italy. The law governing the symbol ensures that only products genuinely originating in a given region and following traditional production techniques are permitted to enter commerce as such. The legislation came into force in 1992 to protect the reputation of regional foods and to eliminate unfair competition and consumer misrepresentation by non-genuine products that may be inferior in quality or flavor. When you purchase an item with this symbol, you are supporting the highest standards for producers who are continuing centuries-old traditions. Conzorzi play a fundamental role as well, placing special focus on initiatives aimed at protecting the quality and unique original characteristics of their product. They are dedicated to safeguarding the flavors and the diffusion of historical, cultural, and traditional knowledge related to the product itself.

It isn’t enough to find a producer in Italy; you must also maintain strong relationships in order to know exactly who and what you are working with.

Paul Ferrari

Franco Folini: While the American food industry is strongly based on the concept of a brand as something that belongs to a corporation, the Italian industry is more based on “brands” without a specific owner (e.g., Taleggio, Lardo di Colonnata, etc.). Within Europe, this problem has been addressed by the EU. What is the situation in the US, and what should be done to better protect these “brands”?

Paul Ferrari: We in the United States still have a long way to go, as we are just scratching the surface on this issue. Farmers’ markets, a focus on producers, and the like are helping raise awareness of this. People should get to know their grocer and their local restaurant’s chef, and ask questions about where their food comes from and who makes it. When you see a cheese you love on a menu, ask if it’s local or imported (depending on the cheese, you’d prefer one or the other). Again, symbols like DOP that protect authenticity are important. Going even further, it’s important to educate consumers that, even with authentic Italian products, quality varies, and price reflects this. It’s important to know that when you purchase cheese, for example, from a small Italian artisan, rather than a large Italian corporation, you are most likely going to pay more. Much like choosing to buy organic, choosing to buy from smaller producers is your vote to protect the quality and traditions behind the product.

It’s important to know that when you purchase cheese, for example, from a small Italian artisan, rather than a large Italian corporation, you are most likely going to pay more. Much like choosing to buy organic, choosing to buy from smaller producers is your vote to protect the quality and traditions behind the product.

Paul Ferrari

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I would like to thank Paul Ferrari for taking the time for this interview. I would recommend visiting your local Ferrari Foods store to experience the quality and variety of their selection in person. If you don’t live in the Bay Area, you can find most of the Ferrari Foods products on Amazon!