Raffaele was born in Gragnano, Italy (2 miles from the Sorrento coast) into an entrepreneurial family with a passion for hospitality and cooking.

His grandfather Giuseppe Caiazzo founded an industrial laundry company for hotels and restaurants in 1968, which is still run by his parents, Raffaele has been in contact with the restaurant business since he was born. Ferdinando, his father, began Raffaele’s cooking lessons at the age of 9 because he said, “if you’re southern Italian, and don’t cook, you’re no one!”.

After travelling across Europe for 12 years, Raffaele moved to the US, where his passion for the hospitality industry was realized. He completed the Second Level Wine Sommelier certification in 2016 at The International Wine & Spirits Guild in Denver, rated in the top 5 wine schools in US by The Wall Street Journal.

After completion, he moved to the Indianapolis area where his expertise led a small, local Italian restaurant to be ranked #1 in the state of Indiana. His passion for hospitality and cooking made him decide to open his own restaurant focusing on homemade pasta, featuring southern Italian cuisine, and offering an eclectic wine menu.