The Zacchino Duo Behind The Sedona Family Restaurant: Vespa Healthy Italian Café
Meet the family behind the Sedona Family Restaurant: Vespa Healthy Italian Café, Matteo Zacchino and his father, Leonardo Zacchino. This dynamic father-son duo brings together the rich traditions of their Italian heritage with their passion for exceptional service to create an authentic Italian café experience right in the heart of Sedona. Be sure to check out our DRINKS menu page as well.
Palermo, Sanremo, Sedona
The Zacchino family comes from Piazza Sant’Onofrio in Palermo — the old heart of Sicily — and later from Sanremo, on the Ligurian coast near the French border.
Those are two very different Italys. Sicilian cooking is bold, sun-driven, Arab-influenced, unafraid of sweet against savoury. Ligurian cooking is the opposite: herbs, olive oil, the sea, focaccia, restraint. One family, both traditions, a thousand kilometres apart.
Both are on our menu, and that was deliberate. There’s a Siciliana and a Genoana sitting side by side on the pinsa list — Palermo and Liguria, the two halves of where we come from, built on a Roman base. We put them there on purpose. If you order one of each, you’ve eaten the family’s route to America.
That route ran through the Valley first. In 1996 the family opened its first restaurant in America — Tutti Santi by Nina in Phoenix, founded on the cooking of Chef Nina Vincenti and run by Leonardo Zacchino, who came to America from Sanremo. Scottsdale followed in 2001. Both are still going.
Vespa came later, and further north. Three Italian kitchens in Arizona now — one family, one standard. Everything we’ve built here sits on that foundation.
Nonna Pina and Nonna Maria
Two grandmothers taught this family to work.
Nonna Pina taught the kitchen. How to treat ingredients, how to know when something is ready without a timer, why you don’t crowd a plate.
Nonna Maria taught the coffee bar. How to pull a proper espresso, how a bar should feel in the morning, why the person standing at the counter for ninety seconds deserves as much care as the person sitting down for two hours.
That’s the reason we’re a café and not only a restaurant. In Italy those are one building. The espresso is not an afterthought at the end of the meal — it is its own discipline, and it came down to us from its own teacher.
Two grandmothers, two disciplines, one counter. That is the whole business.
The Family Now
Leonardo Zacchino is the patriarch. His role was never to hold the recipes still. It is to give the bloodline that comes after him the room to build under the family’s name — and to make sure that what gets built is worth carrying it.
That permission is the reason this restaurant exists in the form it does. A more rigid father would have produced a more predictable restaurant. What gets passed down here isn’t a set of recipes. It’s the standard they have to meet.
Matteo Zacchino runs Vespa day to day — the kitchen, the floor, the catering, and, on most days, the phone.
Matteo Zacchino
Matteo’s journey started in Sanremo, Italy. He grew up amidst the lively atmosphere of his family’s dance clubs and restaurants. This early exposure to the service industry made an impact on Matteo. This was combined with his grandmothers’ influence in the kitchen. These laid the foundation for his love of Italian cuisine.
An artist at heart, Matteo honed his skills at the State Institute of Art in Florence. He then moved to Arizona. Here his artistic journey continued as a successful gallery artist in Scottsdale. He has also embraced eastern philosophies. He has become a Vedic counselor and yoga instructor. These reflect his diverse interests and holistic approach to life.
In 2011, Matteo stepped into entrepreneurship, opening a yoga studio in Wilmington, NC. After nearly five years, he moved to Sedona and turned his focus towards hospitality. Here he operated a successful Airbnb and guest services business. This diverse experience was the precursor to the creation of Vespa Healthy Italian Café. Here he combines three of his talents and experiences. His Italian roots, passion for hospitality, and commitment to healthy, flavorful cuisine.
Leonardo Zacchino
Leonardo, Matteo’s father, has been instrumental in establishing Vespa Healthy Italian Café. A seasoned entrepreneur, Leonardo’s history included owning dance clubs and restaurants in Sanremo. This provided the blueprint for success in the hospitality industry.
Leonardo is known for his business acumen and dedication to quality service. He brings his rich experience and deep understanding of Italian hospitality to this business model. As a business partner, he is an invaluable asset to Vespa. He helps guide the café’s operations. This ensures a premium and authentic Italian experience for every guest.
