“Working In The City” is The San Diego Sun’s feature Q&A series with downtown San Diego business operators. It’s a way to get to know the city by meeting the people who work here. This is the third in an ongoing series.
Company Name: Busalacchi Restaurants
Location: Four Italian restaurants in Little Italy: Nonna, Cafe Zucchero, Barbusa, and Lala.
Owner/Manager: PJ Busalacchi. Have lived in San Diego for all of my 35 years, currently in Kensington (a 12-minute commute to work).
What we do: A family business started by my parents as a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant in the Grossmont Center food court. This is our 40th anniversary! We’ve had 14 restaurants in our portfolio that my dad ran and operated. Many other family members have helped grow the business, including my two brothers Joey and Mike, uncle Frank, cousin Vince, uncle Vince and cousin Nino.
Employees: 150.
Company motto: Not really a motto, but we make sure every person who walks into our establishments feels at home and part of the family.
Big-event boosts: Not really. We do well during big events downtown but we don’t rely on them. Little Italy is an attractive area in itself.
Parking issues: We offer valet parking at Barbusa and Lala.
Best aspects of working downtown: The people. We get to take care of the people who live in Little Italy condos and get to meet people visiting from all over the world.
Funniest downtown work memory: If you walk down India Street to Nonna, every morning there’s a gang of old-school Italians shooting the shit (speaking Sicilian) and playing cards. Always a laugh there.
Scariest downtown work memory: Walking back to my car and being followed by a homeless person.
Homelessness: It’s challenging. Especially since the outdoor patios/parklets were established. Customers sometimes feel vulnerable sitting outside on the sidewalks. There’s constantly a situation or two to deal with.
Celebrity sightings: Tons of actors! Barbusa has become the unofficial restaurant to The Bachelor and The Bachelorette TV shows. We get San Diego Padres players very often. All the SDSU football and basketball recruits visit here. So do the Los Angeles Clippers and pretty much any sports team visiting San Diego.
If your business was made into a movie, it would be called: The King of Little Italy. No one actor could portray my dad. He’d have to be a mixture of Gordon Ramsay, Al Pacino and Don Rickles.
Favorite business that isn’t yours: The Lamplighter. Old-school dive karaoke bar!
Best insider tip for a downtown business: Treat the tourists good, and the regulars even better. SDSun
