HEERA ALAYA

March 8th, 2023

“The roles must be distinct,
but everyone must feel part of a team
where every piece, even the smallest, is fundamental.”

ROSSELLA

Pasticceria owner, IT

Heera Alaya: You have a beautiful name. What does Rossella mean?

Rossella Buonamici: Thank you. Rossella means Scarlett. My father loved Gone with the Wind and named me after Scarlett O’Hara.

How interesting!

[I follow Rossella to the rear end of her pasticceria Buonamici.]

There is a lot of history in this room. [Pointing to a photograph] This is my grandfather, and this is my 85-year-old father, who, before the COVID pandemic, came to the shop every morning at 9:00 am.

[Rossella continues pointing to the photograph, introducing the others] My brother, my cousin. I don’t know the last person.

When was this photograph taken?

This photo was taken in 1949 [73 years ago].

[Rossella walks toward another photograph, pointing] This is my sister making a traditional cake—mille-feuille, and this photo is of my mother, sister and me. And this photo is of my dog and my father getting a premio.

Award?

[Rosella calls out to her staff in front of her pasticceria: “Cos’è il premio?” to which they shout back, confirming: “Award.”

[Looking at the photograph] Yes, this award was given to my father for owning this pasticceria for 70 years. But in 1966, my father closed the shop.

Did you have to shut down the pasticceria because of the 1966 flooding of the Arno River [Tuscany, Italy]?

Sì [Yes]. The over-flooding came in and destroyed everything.

Yours is a story of passion; it’s also about faith, fede.

Sì. Sì. All of Florence started to rebuild.

What does it take to keep the tradition of baking and bakeries alive when increasingly artisanal products are commercialised?

It takes a lot of passion for the product, love for our culinary tradition and the ability to convey it to people. Fortunately, people have rediscovered the importance of consuming high-quality products in recent years.

I have seen people coming in for their morning coffee and pastry. Are your early-morning customers primarily locals or tourists?

Locals. People have coffee in their houses, but the culture in Florence is to have coffee and a pastry in the pasticceria. We drink short coffee two to three times a day.

You, too [drink two to three cups of coffee]?

Sì.

Do you add milk to your coffee?

Only sometimes, a little bit.

Do you eat a lot of dolce [sweets]?

[Laughs] Sì.

What time do you arrive at the pasticceria?

I am here [pasticceria] at 7:30 am.

Do you have pastry chefs?

Yes, the pastry chefs come at 4:00 am to make fresh pastries, biscotti and sandwiches, following my grandfather and father’s recipes.

And Tiziana [Rosella’s assistant]?

Tiziana arrives at 7:00 am and starts setting up all the fresh goods.

Are you open throughout the week?

Yes, seven days a week.

Rossella, when do you take a break?

On Monday. But sometimes, I come to the pasticceria to take care of accounting.

Your pasticceria is beautifully appointed.

We [Rosella’s pastry shop] have been in the exact location since we opened. We studied what the customer first see—they see the pastries, biscuits, sandwiches, juices and coffee. This observation gave us the idea to make our presentation beautiful.

How do you maintain a clean space, especially with non-stop customers?

For me, cleanliness comes first. We clean as we go, all day. When there are few people in the shop, we clean around 2:00 pm and do a complete cleaning after we close for the day.

Who is the young girl with short hair?

Valentina.

Valentina, what a beautiful name! Valentina cleaned as she took orders; watching someone take pride in their work is a treat.

Valentina is good; she has been with me for three years.

And Tiziana, for how long have you known her?

I have known Tiziana for 20 years. Tiziana’s father is a friend of my father.

To run a successful business, you need the right people. I can sense your camaraderie.

Yes. We are fortunate to have each other.

I couldn’t tell the owner apart from the employees, which is a beautiful quality. How do you install ownership, and how is the dignity of labour valued in your bakery and Florence?

We want and are committed to ensuring that the atmosphere inside the pastry shop is familiar. The roles must be distinct, but everyone must feel part of a team where every piece, even the smallest, is fundamental.

What are the top five ingredients you purchase to make your products?

High-quality flours, without additives and of Italian origin; Bronte pistachio PDO [Protected designation of origin]; Piedmont Hazelnut PGI [Protected geographical indication]; pure Bourbon Vanilla paste and 70% cocoa chocolate.

What is your favourite pastry from your pasticceria?

The cream croissant is absolutely the best pastry!

Can you recommend a coffee and pastry combination for someone travelling to Florence for the first time?

I recommend cappuccino and rice pudding, the traditional Florentine breakfast pasta, or a short-crust pastry tart filled with cream and rice.

Are there others who will eventually join you in your business?

There is always a lot of work. My sister, Patrizia, lives in Rome with her children and visits Florence twice a month to help me.

How did the Covid pandemic affect your pasticceria business?

We closed [the pastry shop] for two months. It was a difficult time for two years.

Florence has a fair size of bakeries serving quality products. What makes yours unique?

Even during great difficulties, such as COVID-19, our choice went against the trend; we raised our product quality. Fortunately, the loyalty of our regular customers and the excellent feedback from passing customers proves our standard.

Operating your flavourful pasticceria requires many facets—expertise, finances, quality ingredients, etc. But what makes your pasticceria even more remarkable is that your pastries and coffee are on par with your hospitality and goodness.

[Rosella smiles, her eyes lighting up] Grazie. Grazie.

Learn more about Rossella Buonamici and Buonamici pasticceria, Florence, Italy.