Meet Fabio Viviani | Chef, Restauranteur, TV Personality, Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fabio Viviani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fabio, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The dessert market is booming and I wanted to bring something new to that segment of the hospitality industry. Cookies and cupcakes are great but my goal was to create something totally different. With JARS, we take sweets from around the world and present them in the most creative and visually appealing way possible. As a chef, I’m a very creative person and I love that, with JARS, the possibilities are endless! We offer over 100 different types of jars throughout the year; our signature flavors like Fabio’s Tiramisu, Red Velvet Cheesecake and Salted Caramel Pecan Pie are available every day, with a couple of rotating limited edition jars coming on the menu each week.)

We opened our flagship location in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood earlier this year and already have over 50 additional locations slated to open around the country in the next couple of years.
From a business perspective, I wanted to create a concept that was as close to pandemic & recession-proof as possible. JARS does not require an executive chef, full restaurant kitchen or a big staff at each location, so it’s a concept that’s easy to replicate and execute.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work and collaborate with some of the greatest restauranteurs, chefs and hospitality professionals in the world, all of whom have contributed to my success.

I’ve had a passion for food since I was a child. I grew up in Florence, Italy and, from a very young age, learned that hard work and passion are vital to achieving anything in life.
I studied Italian and Mediterranean cuisines while working with Italian culinary luminaries Alessandro Panzani and Saverio Carmagnini before executing my first restaurant concept on my own.
In 2005, I moved to California, where I opened my first US-based restaurants: Café Firenze, Firenze Osteria, Bar Firenze, and Mercato by Fabio Viviani – all in the Los Angeles, CA area.
Since 2005, I have has opened over 40 different restaurants, bars and hospitality venues around the country including Prime & Provisions and Siena Tavern, (in partnership with DineAmic Hospitality,) Bar Cicchetti, Osteria andTaverna Coastal.

In 2008 I competed on the reality television series Top Chef where I was voted “Fan Favorite,” which was such an incredible experience. I later returned to the Bravo network to compete on Top Chef: All Stars.

Being able to move in new directions is such an important skill, one that not only allows you just to grow as a person and entrepreneur but also allows you to take businesses to new heights. Over the past 6+ years I have taken chances and expanded Fabio Viviani Hospitality in a lot of new directions: casino brands, the hotel management business, airport eateries and, most recently, a number of franchisee concepts.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Family is everything to me and I’m very lucky to have an incredible one. My wife, my son, my family back in Italy and my family here in the U.S. are the best of the best.

Website: www.jarsbyfabioviviani.com

Instagram: @JarsByFabioViviani

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JARSByFabioViviani/

Image Credits
Fabio Viviani Hospitality