Interview with Robert Sansone, owner/chef
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: Growing up in Rochester, N.Y., I vividly remember the smell of the spaghetti sauce simmering in my mother’s kitchen. My first cooking memories are in the kitchen with my grandmother. We were both covered from head to toe in flour. My passion for great food inspired me to earn a culinary degree at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. As a chef, I have won many awards. As a teacher, I was a chef instructor at the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. As an entrepreneur, I have been a private chef and ran a home bistro business. And in 2003, I decided that to continue to grow my passion I needed to be the chef of my own restaurant, and I found the perfect quaint location in Greenwood Village.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: Sansone’s Bistro offers its guests an exquisite opportunity to enjoy a culinary journey through some of Europe’s most famous cities, such as Vienna, Paris, Munich and Venice, with a few fun fusion dishes thrown in to get your attention. We wanted to have a menu you don’t find everywhere, but is still familiar and comfortable. On Tuesday nights, I add traditional family items like homemade lasagna, spaghetti with homemade meatballs and sausage, spaghetti carbonara and more. All served in a cozy, quiet atmosphere with attentive and knowledgeable service.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: Sansone’s Bistro has been open 12 years and there is never a day I get up and say I don’t like my job. How many people get to say that? I get to go to work and create what popped in my head the night before and hear the customers say, “Wow, what is in this?” or “I always try something new because I know it will be good.” People come to Sansone’s to celebrate, get together with friends or just enjoy a great meal.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: It is the government. We have given many kids their first job, trained dishwashers to be chefs, and paid them more than the current minimum wage. But the government could be pricing the small business owner out of business with looming huge minimum wage hikes. People don’t realize that for every dollar or five you increase, you also pay that in taxes, insurance and more. So now minimum wage is not $13 an hour, it is $25 to the business owner.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: Everything we make is from scratch. All our stocks, dressings, sauces, spice blends, desserts and more. The only thing we don’t make homemade is the bread, because I just can’t get up that early to do the baking, too. Oh, and we just opened a sister restaurant down University Boulevard called Fins and Noodles Italian Seafood where I get to showcase my love for Italian food.
Profile
Business: Sansone’s Bistro
Address: 5969 S. University Blvd., Greenwood Village
Hours: 4:30-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Founded: 2003
Contact: 303-794-4026,
Employees: 15
