DePalma's Brings Italian Roots to Georgia Soil

Downtown Athens's DePalma's Italian Cafe began with a question: Where to find truly great pizza? Today, the answer lies in the trattoria's expansion to four locations throughout the northwest area of Georgia.

Patch: Tell us about the DePalma’s beginnings.

Cappi: We actually started DePalma’s back in 1986 in Atlanta on Collier Rd. while we were all in college (or college age). I was working my way through school at Georgia Tech at Fellini’s Pizza, where I met my current and former founding partners. In ’88, after college, we looked to Athens to open our second store. Having found success in downtown Athens, we sold Atlanta and settled there, raising our families and opening two more locations in town over the next 28 years.

Patch: What is the importance of community to DePalma’s?

Cappi: Being a restaurant that has been fortunate enough to experience the longevity of almost 30 years, I can say that community is, by far, the biggest element of our existence. We have grown deep bonds with our friends and customers, being there when they married, seeing their newborns grow into children and now adults who, themselves, are getting married. It takes on another element when you become part of a family spanning multiple generations, serving them in the happy times and being there for life’s milestone events. The 5-year-olds I once coached soccer for became the ones I donated trays of food to for high school band fundraisers and now work in our stores as they, themselves, start their lives working their way through school.

Patch: When are the busiest times of the year for the cafe?

Cappi: It is different in every location, just as each restaurant is different depending on the local interests and lifestyles. In Dacula, we have only been open two months, so it’s hard to say. Downtown in Athens, it’s spring and football games in the fall. Spring always seems to be a busy time of year though overall, everywhere I go.

Patch: Tell us about the DePalma’s staff and their backgrounds.

Cappi: My founding partners and good friends are Patrick McMaster and John Dufur. Patrick got a degree in biology from Davidson College. Barely out of school and presented with the opportunity to join our venture, he jumped on the wagon and never got off. I met John in Atlanta back in the 80s. Back stateside after seeking a life in England, he wandered in to our Atlanta store one day, and it was a perfect fit.

We have added several partners over the years, good, hard-working and trustworthy folks looking for a home and career. Locally, here in Dacula, we have Lauren Stripling, our general manager and co-owner. She has been with us since 2005 and became a partner in 2010. Rounding out our team in Dacula is assistant general manager and co-owner Patrick Singleton. Patrick has been with us since the mid-90s, downtown in Athens, and has recently become a partner [as of] last year. Both are self-made, hard-working individuals that rose from entry-level kitchen positions to ownership. They each lend decades of valuable experience with our team.

Patch: How does DePalma’s stand out from other pizza spots?

Cappi: We have evolved over the decades from a pizza and sandwich cafe to what we are now. We have an eclectic menu, where you can have not only a great pizza, but also food like our fried mascarpone ravioli with grilled artichokes, pork tenderloin with balsamic and fig compote or, my new favorite, seared sea scallops with butternut squash and pancetta.

I have spent years learning about wine, and I think we bring that to the table in our list and its offerings. We try to keep it to mostly Italians with a nod the more classic International varietals, but since our food is Italian, it is important to pick wines that go with our food. Wine in Italy was created to compliment the dish, mingle with the food’s flavors and to leave your palate fresh so that each bite tastes like the first.

Patch: Describe how the culture of Georgia comes into play for DePalma’s.

Cappi: I love Georgia, absolutely the only place I would ever live. Georgia has roots that go deep. Roots in farming and food production. Roots in community and family. Roots in family mealtime. These may not be unique to Georgia, but they are an important part of what makes it so special. In my business, you hear so much about “grow local,” “slow food,” “farm to table.” These are things that have always been a part of Georgia that really lend themselves to what we strive to utilize in the way we do business and in the experience we provide at DePalma’s.

Patch: What are the perks of running your own business?

Cappi: You get a lot more waking hours out of your life because you only sleep five hours a night. Kidding aside, running your own business is not for everyone. It’s risky; it’s a lot of hours; it’s frustrating at times, but in the end, it’s yours. Perhaps the greatest perk is the fact that I feel I am never truly alone in this world. After decades of customers, employees and business contacts, years of meals served, events attended, people met, I don’t think there is a place I go where I don’t know or am not connected to somebody in some capacity.

I constantly meet people I know from DePalma’s no matter where I go. Whether it’s on the Atlanta airport park and ride shuttle or buying wood for my cabin in the mountains from some old-timer who used to go to DePalma’s in Tuscaloosa, it’s hard to meet a stranger. It’s a small world, but it’s teeny-tiny when you meet 30,000 new people in a college town every four years!

Patch: What are some of DePalma’s proudest moments?

Cappi: I don’t know if this constitutes proud, but I’ll say it was a truly moving moment in my life; one that blends business, humanity and relationships. It goes back to your question about community. We had a long time customer in Athens. I’ll call him Wayne. He was such a sweet guy, always a smile on his face. One day, we learned that Wayne had a brain tumor and that it was inoperable. We had seen him for years to come, slowly diminished over time until he could not visit anymore. I truly had not thought of Wayne for some time when his wife wheeled him in one day for what was to become his last visit. She told me that he had requested he be brought down for his favorite veal Marsala one last time. I was truly taken aback and realized that, sometimes, we affect people in so many small ways we never think about. I was both happy and sad to be apart of this moment in time with Wayne and his family. It touched me very much and left a lasting impression on me.

Patch: DePalma’s is heading into its 29th year. How do you envision the future of DePalma? What’s next?

Cappi: Sounds like a long time, really. I guess, at 50, I’m nowhere near retiring. Gosh, we all started this when we were so young. Future growth, as with everything we have done over the years, will be an organic thing. There are people that have been with me for 20+ years that want more for themselves out of this. I feel an obligation to make sure my people are taken care of and growth is one way to achieve that, but it has to be smart. I’d like to keep building; it’s what I do. I guess it’s why I am an engineer at heart . Building and growing smart though is important. Nobody wants to be the python with a pig in its belly! Small steps. That’s how you climb mountain, right?

Patch: How can Patch readers get in contact with you to learn more about DePalma’s Italian Cafe?

Cappi: We’re online or, for more direct communication, call us at (678) 804-9275. Happy to take reservations or book large parties in our private room.

Photos courtesy of DePalma's Italian Cafe