Meet Bill Disselhorst of Fiore Market Cafe in South Pasadena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bill Disselhorst.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In February 2010 I lost a job for the first time in my career. I wasn’t sure what to do. I had always dreamed of owning my own place but was reluctant. My wife Anne thought it was time we did something together. Anne and I always talked about what type of restaurants and cafes we liked. She was very inspired by French design. I was influenced by Italian culture and food.

We had bought a small apartment in a medieval village in 2003 and had it restored. Italy was in our blood. We returned many times. Each time we saw something we liked. We tasted something new. We were totally impressed with the way they lived, the long lunches with family, fresh food picked from the garden and the disregard for a normal timetable. Each day flowed slowly.

We searched South Pasadena looking for the perfect spot for our cafe. The space had to have character. It had to feel right. We landed at the Fremont Centre Theatre. When I first saw the front door with the green and white awnings I knew this was it. It felt cozy even before we got inside.

Anne and I with the help of friends and family did all the work to open the cafe. We painted. We cleaned. Anne and I scoured LA looking for the right pieces to make the cafe look rustic yet functional. We found an old armoire to display Anne’s cookies and cupcakes. I found a cool aluminum table to serve as the front desk. We added pieces of marble here and there. Anne placed each piece and then added the necessary details. She just did her thing. She never wrote things down. Her ideas just seemed to flow from her. I learned to step aside when it came to the design.

We created the menu in a weeks time in our kitchen at home. We leafed through tons of cookbooks and magazines looking for inspiration. Both of our past experiences played a part in the menu. We cooked, baked and tasted over and over until we had it. I wrote the menu on a huge sketch pad. We listed ingredients and instructions.

We opened Fiore Market Cafe on December 20th, 2010. It was 2 days after Anne’s birthday and 5 days before Christmas. The first day was rainy and cold. Our friends and family showed. We had a few other customers. It was the beginning.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was not a smooth road. It took us 2 years to get any real business. Anne and I drove home every Saturday night wondering if it was going to happen. We pushed on each day doing whatever we could. I started to work on creating the gardens. Anne baked and ran to the front of the restaurant. We talked to every customer. it was important for us to make continuous contact with the people coming to Fiore Market Cafe.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Fiore Market Cafe – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We make everything in-house, but we are known for our bread. Anne and I made the commitment to make fresh bread every day and to serve sandwiches on bread baked the same day, We never use day old bread. I offer bread classes once a month to teach people how to make our bread. The classes are always full and very popular.

On July 31st, 2017 my wife Anne passed away from a massive stroke. Anne and I created Fiore Market Cafe together. In many ways, she was the driving force behind the cafe. You could always find her at the front desk or expediting telling jokes She was funny as hell. She kept the crew loose.

Either one of us was at the cafe every day. We never left it. Working the cafe without Anne is something I wasn’t sure I wanted to do, but my son James and I decided to carry on. I think Anne would want that. Fiore Market Cafe has become an important part of the community. I think it’s best that we carry on.

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