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How Fabio Viviani is expanding his restaurant empire into the sweet side

The Italian-born chef’s newest venture is JARS, a fast-casual dessert concept ready for franchising.

Patricia Cobe, Senior Editor

July 6, 2023

Fabio Viviani is a native of Florence, Italy, where he started working in restaurant kitchens at the age of 11.

He learned the ropes of the hospitality industry by cooking in and managing Italian trattorias and restaurants, eventually moving to the U.S. when he was 27, where he opened and operated several restaurants in L.A. Over the next 15 or so years, Chef Viviani built a hospitality empire, developing more restaurants and related culinary businesses around the country in hotels, casinos, airports and freestanding locations.

Fabio

Fabio Viviani

His latest venture is JARS by Fabio Viviani, a fast-casual dessert concept serving more than 100 favorite desserts in single-serve grab-and-go jars.

Listen as Viviani talks about his colorful culinary journey and hospitality empire, his appearances on Top Chef that earned him the title of “fan favorite” and how he’s gearing up to franchise JARS now that the first location in Chicago is going strong.

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About the Author

Patricia Cobe

Senior Editor

Pat plans and executes the menu sections of Restaurant Business and FoodService Director, covering food and beverage trends, Menu R&D, profiles of chefs and restaurateurs and Technomic research. She also contributes to the digital content of both RB and FSD and is editor of two weekly e-newsletters, Recipe Report and On the Menu. Pat’s weekly podcast, MenuFeed, covers a wide range of menu topics through interviews with chefs and operators.

Pat came to Winsight from Hearst, where she was an executive editor. She is the co-author of the Mompreneurs series of books as well as two cookbooks. She graduated from Cornell University and earned a Masters in Journalism from Boston University. She is active in several professional organizations, including Les Dames d’Escoffier and the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC), and serves as a judge for the James Beard Media Awards.

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