Restaurateur Allan Sadri has been in the restaurant business for almost 40 years. He moved to California from New York in 1972, and was a student at Pioneer High School in San Jose. While attending school, he worked at a restaurant. John Lesughi, a Bay Area restaurateur and family friend who was also from Iran, gave Sadri his start. “He was my guardian, my teacher, my mentor,” Sadri said. “I loved it,” he continued, “I instantly knew that I wanted to make a career out of it. Since I loved it so much, I became good at it and successful in my career.”
As the oldest boy of the family, he started taking care of his younger brother one year after arriving in the U.S. “Responsibility has been instilled in me since I was young, especially since I was the oldest child in my family,” he said, “At an early age, I was helping my parents raise my brothers and sisters. My father worked for the government; my mother was a teacher.” By his early twenties, he was already married and had one child. At the same time his two younger sisters also arrived in the U.S.
As the oldest boy of the family, he started taking care of his younger brother one year after arriving in the U.S. “Responsibility has been instilled in me since I was young, especially since I was the oldest child in my family,” he said, “At an early age, I was helping my parents raise my brothers and sisters. My father worked for the government; my mother was a teacher.” By his early twenties, he was already married and had one child. At the same time his two younger sisters also arrived in the U.S.
Story continues below advertisement
Sadri loves the United States because of its people. He considers America to be the world’s melting pot. In his view, the American people are caring, giving, and forgiving, which, according to him, is what makes this country and its people unique. He feels one can always get a second chance in America. “I also love America because it is a land of opportunity,” he continued. “If you are a dedicated, devoted person, if you are willing to work hard, you can make it here.”
Using money borrowed from his parents, Sadri started his first business in 1975, about three years after arriving in America. The restaurant was called Sadri’s Mediterranean Restaurant and was located in San Jose. “We featured Mediterranean, French, and Continental food,” Sadri told us. “I had the restaurant for almost two years [but] I felt I needed more experiences, to learn more, and to expand my knowledge. I felt like the only way to do that was by going back to work in the industry,” he added.
Using money borrowed from his parents, Sadri started his first business in 1975, about three years after arriving in America. The restaurant was called Sadri’s Mediterranean Restaurant and was located in San Jose. “We featured Mediterranean, French, and Continental food,” Sadri told us. “I had the restaurant for almost two years [but] I felt I needed more experiences, to learn more, and to expand my knowledge. I felt like the only way to do that was by going back to work in the industry,” he added.
Sadri subsequently went back to working for other restaurant owners and continued his career. “I managed some of the finest restaurants in this Valley and I made them very successful,” he said. “The restaurants I managed served French, Italian, and California Cuisine.”
In 1984, Sadri got his first opportunity to be involved in building a hotel—the Toll House Hotel in Los Gatos. He was a member of the executive team hired to build the hotel. For him, it was a tremendous experience. “It added to my knowledge and experiences. For a restaurant guy, [opening] a hotel is like [getting] your PhD,” he said.
After that project Sadri went on to manage and own at least a dozen great restaurants for the past 35 years. “The restaurant is a special business,” he told us. “It is a hard business to succeed in. It takes a lot of discipline, dedication, hard work, but I believe you can be successful at it if you follow a simple formula—good product, good service, good ambiance, and most of all, great hospitality. Good hospitality is the key.”
Read More . . . Successful Every Year
In 2005, the Sadri family started their latest project, Vaso Azzurro. At that time he and his brother Michael had just come back to the Bay Area from Utah, after living there for two-and-a-half years. They had launched a successful restaurant concept in Utah, called JJ Michaels. It was an American diner concept and featured American diner cuisine with Italian food as its base. Later they wanted to buy a restaurant in Mountain View and Vaso Azzurro was available. “We liked Vaso Azzurro once we saw the restaurant. This place felt like home … like you have been here for a long time. We decided to buy it and we have continued to expand the place,” Sadri said.
Sadri, and all his siblings, Michael, Meenu, Niku, and Alex operate Vaso Azzurro. The staff treat their patrons like they are visitors to their own home. “We are one of the very few families that have survived this business. Not that many people can survive in the business for as long as we have,” he said. “When people come to our restaurant, they come not only for the food but they come to see us also, because they know that they will come into our home and be part of this hospitality.” He added, “When you come to Vaso Azzurro, you come to a family affair.”
Sadri, and all his siblings, Michael, Meenu, Niku, and Alex operate Vaso Azzurro. The staff treat their patrons like they are visitors to their own home. “We are one of the very few families that have survived this business. Not that many people can survive in the business for as long as we have,” he said. “When people come to our restaurant, they come not only for the food but they come to see us also, because they know that they will come into our home and be part of this hospitality.” He added, “When you come to Vaso Azzurro, you come to a family affair.”
According To Sadri, Vaso Azzurro has been more successful every year since they started it. The economic crisis barely had an affect. The restaurant is open seven days for dinner, five days for lunch, and is available during the day on Saturday and Sunday for parties or banquets such as weddings, anniversaries, or birthdays. The place has a maximum capacity inside for 100 people plus patio dining.
Now that Vaso Azzurro has become a success, Sadri and his family are hoping to launch the JJ Michaels concept soon here in California as well. The restaurant will serve a combination of fresh foods—seafood, poultry, beef, salads, sandwiches, and appetizers—for a well-rounded menu.
Sadri believes that when you own a restaurant, your first task is to learn about various cultures. “You get so many people from different cultures,” he said, “When you learn all these different cultures you know how to take care of them when they come to your restaurant.” He speaks five languages: Farsi, English, French, Italian, and Arabic.
“People make restaurants, people make food, and their stories are so important,” Sadri said. “When that understanding is there, things move and happen a bit better.” He believes if you are going to a restaurant, when you know about people, who they are, and how they think, it helps so much in the relationship. “For us, this is a way of life,” he said. “We find that when people know our story, where we come from, how passionate we are … when you instill that feeling of warmth and passion, people will feel it.”
Now that Vaso Azzurro has become a success, Sadri and his family are hoping to launch the JJ Michaels concept soon here in California as well. The restaurant will serve a combination of fresh foods—seafood, poultry, beef, salads, sandwiches, and appetizers—for a well-rounded menu.
Sadri believes that when you own a restaurant, your first task is to learn about various cultures. “You get so many people from different cultures,” he said, “When you learn all these different cultures you know how to take care of them when they come to your restaurant.” He speaks five languages: Farsi, English, French, Italian, and Arabic.
“People make restaurants, people make food, and their stories are so important,” Sadri said. “When that understanding is there, things move and happen a bit better.” He believes if you are going to a restaurant, when you know about people, who they are, and how they think, it helps so much in the relationship. “For us, this is a way of life,” he said. “We find that when people know our story, where we come from, how passionate we are … when you instill that feeling of warmth and passion, people will feel it.”
