WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Long before I knew what an entrepreneur was, I knew I wanted to own my own business, I guess you could say it runs in the family. It all started with my grandparents, Willie and Mary DaPrato. They opened the first grocery store in West Sacramento, “Willies Market”. They prided themselves on quality products and they treated everyone like family, especially around dinner time in their neighborhood.

I started working in restaurants as soon as I turned 15 and could qualify for an employment permit. Over the next 10 years I did every front of house job you could do, in small establishments and fine dining alike, until I decided I wanted to make a change… into hotels. I saw a job posting for a Banquet Manager position and figured, “hey, I have a little management experience and a ton of restaurant experience, I’m sure it’s applicable.” The hotel agreed and hired me, but let me tell you what… it was a trial by fire kind of situation.

Over the past 6 years in hospitality, I developed a passion for bringing clients visions to life. I discovered I had a knack for designing unique menus, creating beautiful displays and crafting artisanal boards. I decided to take that passion and experience from hospitality and fulfill my life long desire of being a business owner. Derived from my Italian-Californian roots, I finally found it, my dream, Tavola Moderna.