Luca Infantino’s Italian-American dream: connection over competition
At 26 years old, Luca packed his suitcase and moved from Italy to America with big dreams and empty pockets. Today, as the proud owner of Alessio’s Café in Hoboken and Jersey City, NJ, Luca is living his version of the Italian-American dream — by bringing together his community through pizza and coffee.
Alessio’s Café — named after his first-born son — is a place where people gather, share a meal, and connect. “We don’t sell food; we sell the Italian experience,” says Luca. “And the Italian experience is with coffee and pizza.”
On his visits back to his homeland, Luca’s days are filled with reunions of around 20 friends, hopping from espresso bar to espresso bar until they’re (overly) caffeinated. And when it’s time to eat, pizza takes center stage as a shareable, affordable meal for all. “Food is the religion for Italians,” Luca explains. “You can’t say no when they offer you food.”
What gets Luca out of bed in the morning? First, espresso. Second, visiting his shops and interacting with customers. “My main goal every day is to chat with my community,” Luca says. While it’s tempting to dream big and open more locations, Luca’s philosophy on success is rooted in genuine connection. He reflects, “If I were to expand, I would lose the daily connection with my customers and staff.”
His sense of camaraderie extends beyond Alessio’s walls to the other pizzerias in town. “You will always have ups and downs in this business. This is something everyone knows working in pizza,” he says. Luca recalls a time when his dough machine broke, and after calling two nearby pizza shops, they quickly jumped in to help, bringing him dough to keep his business running.
With almost 60,000 residents and 30 pizza shops in Hoboken, Luca knows that collaboration, not competition, is the key to thriving in the pizza world.
