Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia & Gustavo. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Natalia is originally from Sao Paulo Brasil, known by locals as Sampa’s hence the pizza shop’s name. Gustavo is from southern Brazil, the city of Porto Alegre which is well known for its top-notch BBQ.
The two of them had been living in the states for a few years when they came up with the idea with their close friend Chef Marcus Roberto for Sampa’s. In Brazil, pizza is closer to fine dining than here, it is eaten with a fork and knife and a lot of care is put into the toppings.
Together they decided to bring their love for great pizza to southern California. They felt the recipe’s uniqueness alongside the classics would be accepted well among the large Brazilian community and locals.
So far it has! For Brazilians, it is a taste of home. For Americans, it is an escape from the same ol’ same. Sampa’s also has an array of classic American and Italian flavors, all made from scratch with selective artisan ingredients by people sharing the same passion for great food!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
With the first location, the construction of the shop went on longer than expected putting a financial toll on the three partners at that time. As well as the challenge of having a location off the beaten path, it made for a difficult start.
Once the doors opened, it was difficult for people to know we were there but gratefully word of mouth spread quickly. Our second challenge came from opening our second location in a more accessible area but following a pizza shop that was not so successful. So it took some time to reach the locals and show them we were a whole new concept.
But after some growing pains, things started to run smoothly so when our chef and partner decided that a solitary shop was not for him, it was an easy transition. We still work closely with him on all current recipes and new recipes. In fact, we just started a Pizza of the Month, where we feature a new one of his creations every month.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
PIZZA! You could call it gourmet, artisanal, comfort food, we just call it scrumptious!
Even years later it is an effort for us not to eat pizza every day because we just love it so much. We offer three categories – Classic Italian Pizza, Traditional American Pizza, and Festive Brazilian Pizza.
Recently we started branching out with locally sourced fresh pasta and traditional Brazilian snacks. As well as adding an in-house pastry chef to our team who is crafting some excellent desserts.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We collaborate with Caffe Luxxe in our Marina location and Beantween Coffee, a local Brazilian coffee roaster in both locations. We also work closely and often with our friend Chef Marcus Roberto of Personal Pizza Chef.
We are hoping to collaborate with a local brewery this summer on some stuff and are always open to collaborating with local businesses.
Pricing:
- $15-25 for pizza
- $15.95 for pasta
- $3.50 + for sides, salads & desserts
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sampaspizza.com
- Instagram: @sampasgourmetpizza
- Facebook: facebook.com/sampasgourmetpizza
- Other: @sampaspizzacafe
