Brothers look to expand beyond six area restaurants
By: Laura McGinley
Living your dreams is hard work, says restaurateur Carlo Momo. A lifetime of experience in the restaurant business has taught that lesson to him and his brother, Raoul.
The Momo brothers have spent nearly 18 years creating eateries in the Princeton area. The roster of area restaurants owned by the brothers through their management company, T2 Ventures, includes Teresa’s, Pizza Coloré, Mediterra, Witherspoon Bread Co., the recently acquired Winepress in Kingston and their newest restaurant, Nova Terra, in New Brunswick.
The brothers began their careers in the restaurant business at the side of their mother, the eponymous Teresa, working at the family’s delicatessen in Rockland County, N.Y.
"Even though you hate working in the family business, you take for granted how much you’re learning," said Carlo.
And learning, he says, is what the restaurant business is all about. He recommends that aspiring restaurateurs get experience before making the huge commitment that owning a restaurant requires.
"Work for a year," said Carlo. "Get exposed to everything. Wash some pots, get on the floor, chop parsley, peel potatoes. Because that’s the business. That’s what it’s all about."
The brothers’ partnership began in 1982 at Teresa’s, a pizzeria they opened on Easton Avenue in New Brunswick. At the time, Raoul was still a student at Rutgers University, and Carlo had recently graduated from St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia.
Little by little, the brothers’ business grew and, over the years, they have become a force to be reckoned with in the local restaurant scene. When a lack of resources and contacts caused a Pizza Coloré franchise in Denver to founder, the brothers decided to focus most of their energy on local venues, although they still have ownership interests in restaurants in Pennsylvania and Denver.
Now, T2 Ventures serves up everything from gourmet pizza to tapas to bread in establishments in downtown Princeton as well as up and down the Route 1 corridor.
When opening up a new restaurant, Carlo says, a crucial element that will decide whether that restaurant will succeed or fail is to target a niche. For example, he said the brothers’ newest restaurant, Nova Terra, features New World and Latin-inspired dishes.
"It’s absolutely beautiful, a spectacular space," Carlo said. "For us, it’s just a continuation of what we’ve been doing. We identify the market, the needs of the marketplace, and put in the concept."
Despite their niche approach to restaurant ownership, the Momo brothers offer something for just about everyone.
"I love (the Witherspoon Bread Co.) because it crosses all different cultural lines and socioeconomic lines," Carlo said. "No matter how much or how little you make, you can always afford a good loaf of bread."
It’s essential to be exposed to as much as possible, Carlo says, to understand fully the intricacies of the restaurant business.
"Get in the kitchen, get in the front," he said. "You’d better love people, you’d better love to deal with people. You’d better love food, but it can’t be just about the food. There are a lot of things you have to think about."
Carlo kept coming back to the commitment he said he believes is necessary from any individual who wants to run a successful restaurant. Many restaurants fail, he says, because people make erroneous assumptions about the requirements of the business, and the relatively low cost of entry makes starting up much easier than following through.
Carlo meets people from all walks of life who dream of owning a restaurant, but he said most people really aren’t prepared for the challenges involved. "There is something romantic about it, everyone wants to be a host," he said. "But there’s a harsh reality behind all that. There’s a harsh business reality, but it’s not just business. There are other realities that, if you’re thinking about opening up a restaurant, you have to go find out."
Staying committed to your vision also is essential, says Carlo. He once read, "The secret to failure is to try to please everyone," and he keeps that in mind. "That’s so true in the restaurant business," he said. "If you try to please everyone, you’re sure to fail. I think you just have to stay committed to your concept and accept that it may not be for everyone if you do it well, you’ll stand a much better chance of succeeding."
Clearly, for the Momo brothers, all the hard work and long hours have paid off. Indeed, Carlo says, one of the most satisfying aspects of owning restaurants continues to be the overall ambiance and top-notch cuisine offered at their many eateries.
"Overall, I don’t think it’s any single property; it’s that all of our properties are seen as consistent, they’re good, and very reliable,"Carlo said. "That’s not easy to do. To run multi-unit concepts, and put different concepts on top of that, and then maintain that quality level, that’s what we try to do, whether it’s bread or pizza or fine dining and trattorias."
But the brothers have dreams of future conquests. In fact, Carlo said, he hopes T2 Ventures will soon include a winery among its holdings. Their mother owns a farm in Chile and brokers wines to merchants around the world.
"I think I’m living my dream, but I’d like to have a winery," he said. "I’d like to stay in the business the winery, the restaurants, they’re all part of that experience."