“Family" best describes the restaurant empire started in Newtown by Fami and Amali Elabed during 2001. With handmade recipes, dining at any of the now three Piccolo Trattoria outlets looks, feels and tastes like Sunday dinner at home.
“Fami is a pioneer, taking a chance opening one of the first Italian eateries in the area,” says Amali.
Anchoring from Newtown Shopping Center, 32 West Road, the duo combined a successful fusion of delicious food, customer care and wonderful atmosphere for guests. “We’ve become a staple in the community, serving generations of families and building lasting relationships,” proudly shares Fami.
The Elabeds had so much early success that after only four years during 2005, they opened their second post in Pennington, New Jersey. Fast-forward to 2016 where Piccolo Trattoria grew again, this time in Doylestown, a location picked by customer demand, as many patrons were commuting the distance just to dine there.
Fami started the journey to multi-restaurant ownership at age 11, while working in a pizzeria. It was from that point he says he knew he was destined to become a restaurateur. The word “passion” is sprinkled throughout the company's website, and is a great way to characterize Fami, who has a glow about him when operating in the kitchen, greeting customers or directing staff.
“Restaurants grow or die," says Fami who’s been keeping the expansion in motion by moving into catering. In addition to being the exclusive caterer at various upscale event spaces, Piccolo Trattoria also delivers to homes or backyards. He says they're capable of handling more than 1,400 guests. All this is done from their industrial-strength, state-of-the-art kitchen, created with expansion in mind.
Piccolo Trattoria restaurants are authentic at every turn and offer up the warm vibes of visiting family. “We want to give the community a great dining experience,” says Fami. Amali adds: “Our culinary team takes pride in preparing an array of dishes to satisfy a diverse range of palates and preferences."
The Elabeds also keep pace on the philanthropic part of their business, giving back to the communities in which their restaurants exist and customers reside. They support local causes by hosting fundraisers and being involved in charitable events. They’ve also added a binary part of their giveback ethos by donating food to homeless shelters, and have many staff volunteer at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, where Fami and Amali have a direct relationship.
At press time, the couple's Newtown location is in the midst of building out a beautiful patio, which will provide a covered outdoor area with 100-plus seats. This is the third expansion to the flagship location, and something Fami says he's been formulating since opening.
“Customers visit the restaurant from over two hours, and states away, and this gives them another dining option,” says Amali. It’s also notable all three locations offer quick-serve “pizzeria” style to-go options in addition to the dining rooms.
Piccolo Trattoria maintains a steady and loyal customer base, which Fami refers to as “raving fans," simply by doing what they do best, which is treating all with honesty and respect while giving them a well-rounded dining experience. This principle is executed via the owners' way of doing business, which clearly spreads to their staff, who Fami refers to as "extended family."
Piccolo Trattoria is known for offering authentic, elegant Italian cuisine, which this family does well by using fresh ingredients, making each entrée from scratch, including their famous homemade marinara sauce, and by delivering all aspects of the dining experience on point. Their restaurants also are widely known as a destination for intimate gatherings within an atmosphere of Old World ambiance with real Italian flair, creativity and quality. And, now they offer the same great food on-the-go through catering.
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