Maggie and Ryan Samson’s story began over a shared love of food. They met in culinary school in Vermont in 1996, two talented people drawn to the restaurant world.
Their culinary journey took them west to Napa Valley and then to Austin in 2002, where Maggie had grown up. The couple worked together at Vespaio Ristorante, and when its sister restaurant, Enoteca Vespaio, opened next door, Ryan became a partner and executive chef while Maggie served as general manager.
When the Samsons decided it was time to settle down with their twin boys, Hank and Wally, they wanted something different from the bustling city life they had known. They wanted land and a place where their sons could explore. Dripping Springs offered the best of both worlds: the Hill Country lifestyle within commuting distance of downtown Austin.
For Maggie, the restaurant business evolved from an early focus on pastry and desserts to front-of-house operations. The couple’s schedules reflected the demanding nature of the industry, with Maggie working early mornings and Ryan late nights. But together they built a life around food, hospitality, and community.
As Vespaio closed its doors in downtown Austin and the Samsons opened their newest restaurant concept, Vespa Rossa, in 2025, they entered both a new chapter and a remarkably challenging year.
Launching a restaurant is difficult even under the best circumstances. Doing so while preparing to close longtime Austin establishments would have been enough of a challenge. But just months after opening Vespa Rossa, the couple faced another unexpected blow.
During the February 2026 freeze, pipes burst at the restaurant, causing the ceiling to collapse and forcing Vespa Rossa to close the front dining room for about a month, utilizing only the back dining room during repairs.
“Life is always going to throw challenges at you,” Maggie says. “You just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.”
So they rolled up their sleeves, cleaned up, and rebuilt. Perhaps most importantly, they were reminded they were not doing it alone.
The couple is deeply grateful for the friends, neighbors, and community members who rallied around them—first as they navigated the closing of their Austin restaurants, then as they opened Vespa Rossa in Dripping Springs, and again when the freeze threatened their new business just months into its first year.
That resilience has become part of their philosophy. Restaurant life is unpredictable, they say, and experience teaches you to develop a thicker skin, adapt quickly, and get back up when things don’t go according to plan.
Vespa Rossa was born from that experience, but it was also shaped by what the couple wanted for their family and community.
“Living out here, we knew that we wanted our new restaurant to be family friendly and a community hub where everyone can come,” Maggie says.
That means a place for date night, dinner with the kids, celebrations in the private Blue Room, or a casual meal with friends. The restaurant serves homemade pasta and Italian-inspired dishes along with rotating weekly specials incorporating local ingredients, grilled meats, and Texas barbecue prepared in the smoker out back.
“We want to bring the community together, and there’s no better way to do that than through food,” Maggie says.
Even the restaurant’s name carries a piece of their history. Vespaio means “beehive” or “wasp nest” in Italian, a reference to the large bee colony discovered in the walls of the original Vespaio. Vespa Rossa, or “red wasp,” creates a connection to that Austin legacy while giving a nod to the Hill Country critters.
Today, Vespa Rossa is supported by a team that shares the couple’s vision, including chef de cuisine Stephanie Stackhouse and general manager Katie Call, who’s taking the reins as longtime team member Holly Gordon moves to Nashville.
For the Samsons, the future is less about expansion and more about deepening their roots. They envision more events in the Blue Room and expanding catering and brunch offerings, all while continuing to build relationships across the Hill Country.
After a year filled with major transitions and unexpected setbacks, the couple’s vision for Vespa Rossa remains remarkably straightforward: They want people to walk through the doors, share a meal, and leave happy.
Maggie reflects, “When people think of Vespa Rossa, we hope they think of delicious food in a warm, welcoming atmosphere that’s a great place to gather with friends and family.”
VespaRossaTX.com | @vesparossatx
“Living out here, we knew that we wanted our new restaurant to be family friendly and a community hub where everyone can come." - Maggie Samson
“When people think of Vespa Rossa, we hope they think of delicious food in a warm, welcoming atmosphere that’s a great place to gather with friends and family.” - Maggie Samson