Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline D’Amore.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Caroline. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My childhood was spent in the restaurants or on site catering big events or film sets. When I became a teenager I did what all teenagers do– rebelled big time against the business. I wanted nothing to do with pizza and found music and DJing as my way out. To my surprise, I fell in love with DJing and was pretty damn good at it. I signed to the biggest DJ agency, Skam Artist, and toured the world many times over. However, the road got lonely and I would find myself seeking out Italian restaurants in different cities around the world just to feel that sense of home and family. I met the love of my life, Bobby Alt, and we fell in love with D’Amore’s Pizza together. We decided to open our own location around the same time we got pregnant. Pretty insane, I know. Even growing up in the business, I never really knew how hard it was to own and operate my own location. I remember many days being so stressed out and crying that a cook didn’t show up. I would either have to go back into the kitchen and cook, or we close for the day. I got back there and learned everything on the menu and actually started to love the cooking part. I would cook all day, come home and cook again for my husband and daughter. I became obsessed, testing out different recipes in my own kitchen and then working with my team to implement them. Seeing the response of my dishes from our customers was such a satisfying feeling. Our rent just doubled at our location, so my business brain has gone into full effect.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Rejection sucks. I actually don’t handle it very well. I cry when I’m faced with rejection because I’m always trying my absolute hardest. So when I fail, it hurts. But I always snap out of it and realize I did my best. I aim to learn from the times when things didn’t work out. Fail once, learn from it and do better next time and you will be fine. Continuing to fail means it’s time to deeper examine what you’re doing. Studying your craft inside and out will lead you to success.
Please tell us about D’Amore’s Pizza.
Recently, I developed a new catering division for D’Amore’s that has been blowing up! We’ve been catering to all the hottest events from Coachella to Seth Rogan’s Hilarity for Charity. Since we are one of the few restaurants in our area open until 4am everyday, my nights are filled with orders until the early morning.
In addition to my busy restaurant schedule, just this year I’ve DJ’ed on the Today Show, opened for Diplo and Machine Gun Kelly, as well as played with incredible artists such as Steve Aoki and Dillon Francis. People in the crowd scream Pizza Girl, which I love! So it’s all connecting.
I’m able to keep my business, music career, my family, and myself going by planning ahead and exercising time management. No matter how busy, it is most important that I always make time for my family. My daughter Isabella is an amazing traveler and loves being at the restaurants, just like I did as a kid.
On top of all this, I’m working on my own sauce line called Pizza Girl that officially launches later this summer but is available for pre-order now at pizzagirl.com. The sauce is combination of my great grandmother’s recipe & D’Amore’s Pizza recipe that’s been locally sourced and 100% organic. I can’t wait for people to try my Pizza Girl sauce!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My first job was, of course, being a Pizza Girl. I delivered pizzas in Malibu once I got my license. It was actually a ton of fun and a great first job for anyone who is able to use their car for work.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8369 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Website: https://www.damorespizza.com/
- Phone: (323) 951-0070
- Instagram: @damoresfamouspizza
Image Credit:
Caroline D’Amore
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