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RESILIENCE IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL

Local restaurateur Gino Palma cannot wait to get to the other side and celebrate life

Article by Gabrielle Lewis

Photography by Edison Manalo Poemtography, Facci Ristorante

Originally published in Columbia Lifestyle

Gino Palma is no stranger to carving a career through hard work. 

Hailing from Naples, Italy, Palma immigrated to the United States in 1996 with no family, no money, and no knowledge of the language. Earning a position at the restaurant of a family friend from his original hometown, Palma began his career as a dishwasher and busboy. Working sixteen-hour days, six days a week, Palma constantly learned new skills and recipes. His flexibility in the back of house operations catapulted him to higher positions in the restaurant, eventually leading to Palma fulfilling management roles in various establishments in the Northeast. After moving to Maryland in 2005 and starting a family, Palma observed a lack of fresh, authentic Italian food in his community and was inspired to bring Neapolitan cuisine to his new home. In 2010, Palma became the proud owner of the Italian restaurant Facci Ristorante, a wine bar and pizzeria whose mission is to “transport your taste buds back to the streets of old Napoli.” 

Utilizing special preparation techniques for pasta, cocktails, and especially pizza, Facci’s has a variety of menu items. Facci’s use of the freshest ingredients and imported wood-burning oven honors the original method of baking Neapolitan pizza in temperatures 1,000 degrees and higher, developed as early as 1889. Expanding to Ellicott City and Laurel, Facci's has distinguished itself as a community favorite over the last decade. The restaurant has been named one of Maryland’s Best 50 Restaurants by the Baltimore Sun, boasting a chic yet accessible atmosphere that invites patrons of all ages to partake in delicious Naples cuisine. 

Despite the popularity of the establishment previously causing long lines to wind out of the front doors every weekend, recently Facci’s has been forced to close its doors to the public. Due to the spread of COVID-19 infecting thousands of people throughout the country, the food and beverage industry has taken a significant hit. With the restaurant’s business model shifting to only allowing carry-out, curbside pick-up, or delivery for dining options, the staff at Facci’s have been drastically impacted, many being laid off or given greatly reduced working hours. Palma himself has had to manage the restaurant with a skeleton crew, oftentimes fulfilling various roles himself throughout the day. 

“If someone had told me three years ago what would be happening today, I would’ve never believed them.” Palma shared. “It feels like a movie, something surreal that was just made up and thrown on everyone. Even when this is all over, everything in the industry will have changed. The whole business will shift. It’s hard to look that far in the future.” 

In spite of this daunting time, Palma is still hopeful for the eventual return to business once the quarantine orders have been lifted. Apart from fully opening his dining room to customers again, Palma is most excited to enjoy the presence of his loved ones again. 

Palma advises anyone struggling with the quarantine to release the semblance of control and acknowledge that life is unpredictable. In the face of an uncertain future, one thing remains certain: Palma will continue serving delicious food to the community for as long as he can. 

“When this is all over, I can’t wait to throw a huge party. I want to invite everyone in the community so we can celebrate life. Celebrate the time we have together, the ability to touch and be around each other -- and not take it for granted ever again,” Palma says.

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