In 1968, we left our small hometown of Andali in the Calabria region of southern Italy and set out to build a new life in America. After working various jobs and even running a pizzeria along the way, we found our true home in the restaurant business — purchasing our location in 1986 and proudly opening Calabria Italian Restaurant in February 1987.

In those early years, we poured everything into building our business. We opened seven days a week and cooked well into the early morning hours, determined to share the authentic flavors of our homeland. Our children were right there alongside us — our oldest, Piero (then 14), and our youngest, Giuseppe (then 10), learning what it meant to work with heart and dedication.

As the years passed, our family grew along with our restaurant. Piero eventually made his way to Washington, D.C., where he married and started a family of his own, raising four daughters. Giuseppe chose to stay close to home and to the kitchen, carrying on our family’s passion for cooking. He married, and in time his wife and their two children, Emanuele and Serena, became part of the Calabria family as well — serving guests with the same warmth and care that has always defined us.

Nearly 40 years later, we are still here — still cooking, still welcoming you to our table, and still honoring the traditions we brought with us from Calabria.

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your loyalty and support.