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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
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Restaurant Group Opens Its First Nonprofit Eatery

What was just supposed to be one small Italian restaurant in San Diego’s South Park neighborhood nine years ago, according to founder and owner Matteo Cattaneo, is now a full-fledged restaurant group — Buona Forchetta — with three locations around the county.

Now, Cattaneo is anticipating the launch of his latest and fourth project, Matteo in South Park, the first nonprofit restaurant for the group — and the second nonprofit restaurant in San Diego — scheduled to open its doors in March.

“Matteo is my namesake passion project,” said Cattaneo, who also owns Buona Forchetta South Park (2013), Officine Buona Forchetta in Point Loma (2017) and Buona Forchetta in Encinitas (2018). “When the space came up for lease, I knew I could develop a concept that would become a vital part of the community and help to give back… My hope for Matteo is that it can be two things: a fantastic breakfast and lunch restaurant that serves the community and an important donor to local nonprofits that provides continuous support.”

All profits from the breakfast and lunch spot, after operating costs, will be donated to causes focused on education and early childhood development, according to the company, with the nonprofit group of choice rotating on a quarterly basis.

Even before opening its doors, Matteo has already worked with the McKinley School Foundation of San Diego, which helps raise funds for McKinley Elementary in Altadena, said Cattaneo. The project allowed Matteo to help the school obtain a new audio system, he said. In March, Matteo’s nonprofit partner will be the Chavista Cesar Chavez Service Clubs, a leadership development program that takes place in public and private schools around San Diego County, Cattaneo said. The public is also welcome to submit causes for consideration online. The Forchetta Family leadership team will vote on the proposals.

Giving Back

Since moving to San Diego from Bergamon, Italy, and setting up shop in South Park, Cattaneo knew he wanted to open a restaurant that would directly give back to the community.

“San Diego is my home now,” he said. “My children go to school here and my restaurants are neighborhood gathering places. It’s important to me to share my success with my community and Matteo will allow my restaurant group to give back as well as be a key in the nonprofit restaurant space.”

At 2,800-square feet, Matteo, a fast-casual eatery with counter service, will be led by head baker and general manager Joanne Sherif. It will offer breakfast items like benedicts, toast, croissant sandwiches and bowls as well as pastries, including coffee cake and cinnamon rolls. Matteo will also offer children’s take-away school lunches that can be picked up daily, as well as a kid’s menu and plant-based and gluten-free options. Additionally, it will feature a market that will sell imported Italian items and Buona Forchetta pasta and sauces.

The Decor

In terms of décor, Matteo will feature large windows with a modern industrial finish inside, according to the company, with mostly neutral colors and hand painted signage. On the exterior, patrons and passersby can enjoy a large, colorful mural by local artist Stacey Uy, which includes the official Matteo hashtag, #matteoforacause.

Funded by Cattaneo and his wife, Buona Forchetta launched in 2011 as a tiny Italian restaurant in South Park, said Cattaneo.

“It was just supposed to be just one small neighborhood restaurant,” he said. “We didn’t think it was going to be that successful.” But, it was.

So, Cattaneo set out to grow his operation and reach by opening Officine in Point Loma in 2017, followed by Buona Forchetta in Encinitas in 2018.

Now, the hope is that Matteo can become a place where locals and visitors alike can grab their morning coffee, have a long lunch, pick up a loaf of bread and/or indulge in a weekend brunch, said Cattaneo. He’s particularly excited to have Sherif as Matteo’s head baker and general manager, given her background as previous owner of Cardamom Café in North Park before shutting it down summer of 2019.

“… Her pastries are a fixture in the San Diego community,” he said. “You can find all of them at Matteo.”

While Cattaneo is excited by the upcoming opening of Matteo, it isn’t the only project in the works for Buona Forchetta.

Expansion Plans

He said he has three additional openings planned for 2020, including a fourth Buona Forchetta location, Garage Buona Forchetta, slated to open in Coronado in a few months; Gelati & Peccati, a small pizza stand specializing in Roman-style slices and gelato, located in North Park; and Carbon, a BBQ joint in South Park.

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