Madison Small Business Spotlight: Cafe Allegre

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that’s the belief behind this exciting series — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

• Business: Cafe Allegre
• Owners: Chef Silvio and Vittoria Suppa
• Website: cafeallegre.com
• Address: 725 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443

How did you come up with the name?

Before opening, while still at our Del Monaco’s restaurant in New Haven, we looked at a happy bunch of women having a great time at one of our tables, and that made us think of “Cafe Allegre” for the name of our new place because Allegre means happy - and it’s plural, feminine in Italian, so it means happy women to us, and that’s a good thing!

Why choose that location? Why start a business in this town?

We had been looking around for a while and Madison had absolutely everything we wanted! From the moment we got out of our car and walked around, we felt like we were home. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. We loved the town, the shops, history - everything!

Briefly, what business are you in?

We are a Mediterranean Restaurant with an Inn upstairs, the Inn at Lafayette.

What’s the most difficult moment or challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

When we set up for large parties and prepare for a full day of business...and nature slams us with hurricanes two years in a row, or a blizzard or two! Something like that can be very challenging if bad weather or loss of power continues for days.

Were there any challenges that made you second guess your decision to be an entrepreneur?

When we first started out, we thought...how are we going to do all of this? It’s going to be a lot of work and take up all our time. But, once we committed, that this is what we wanted to do - we forged ahead, no turning back attitude. By determining to succeed, we overcame any fears.

What’s been your favorite moment or proudest achievement since opening?

Nothing can top the feeling when we first opened our doors at Cafe Allegre in Madison. Very proud moment! We knew it was the right move - no questions about it!

What’s the most innovative idea your employees or customers have had that you put into practice?

When a very good customer of ours, who would always come into the kitchen asking to take some sauce home, said “Your sauce is like gold - you should package it” - that started us putting our sauce line in motion, which is now carried in all major supermarkets in CT and Whole Foods in MA.

How do you deal with difficult customers?

Our motto is “The customer is always right.” We like to find out why they’re unhappy about something, discuss it with them, as we truly feel that everyone who walks through our doors is no different from people coming into our home, and we want them leaving with smiles! So, if anyone is difficult....we talk to them, as most people just want to know that they’re heard in life, and we listen!

How does your business give back or get involved in the community?

We support our Chamber, countless local fund raisers and charity events. From placing ads to giving gift certificates, we do as much as we can. We also support our staff with their requests as well. One of our waiter’s has a relative with ALS and we are supporting their event in Madison. We also work with pricing on community events and have donated food as well.

Would you like to see your small business showcased in this series? Email wendy.mitchell@ patch.com.