Della Zona

Della Zona is a business that is set to sustain our local community and provide exceptional dining by offering local grown organic foods such as, vegetables, pasteurized meats, eggs, and farmstead cheeses. The village bakery was the first one of the two businesses that opened up in the space that Della Zona is currently in. In 2007, Della Zona then opened up and The Village Bakery moved into a new space right next door. Della Zona was opened to offer a different atmosphere that the village bakery didn’t offer. Local meats, vegetables, dairy products, and their special marinara source are their foundation for sustainability. “Sustainable means something different form different areas” as said by Christine. This meaning that when they get their products from different locally grown famers.
Della Zona is place where anyone is welcomed and no one is denied, a local place for everyone can eat, that is also affordable and nutritious at the same time. The atmosphere is a real laid back place with photos and pictures on the walls from the local farms and organizations that they apart of. Even though Della Zona just opened in the fall of 2007, they have set goals to keep there establishment one of a kind in Athens. Della Zona wants to raise the demand for normal food for all, and wants to connect themselves with the community while normalizing organic foods for people to learn more about. The mozzarella that they use is from snowville creamery which is also a local sustainable establishment right here in Athens, also they get their pepperoni from shoes orchard which is made form grass feed and without the nitrex chemical that can make it a hazard to ones health. Lastly, the chicken and bacon that Della Zona gets is from the farmers market which is just another one of the local business from the around the Athens area. While there are many goals that Bob and Christine have set before their businesses there are certain to be many setbacks from starting a new business as well. Finances are the biggest obstacle the business has to overcome because of the way that the economy is starting to cut back on a lot of things, which is in turn making people across the United States cut back on things that they really can do without. When talking about finances in the restaurant business and specifically in a sustainably restaurant, things are going to tend to be a bit more expensive, but in the long run your either going to have to pay that deficit back with the bad health that those commercial foods might give to you, or your going to live a bit longer and have a longer and more healthier life. So, in the short run you may think think that it is too much to put forward, but you’re going to benefit in the long run. Della Zona try’s to do as much as they can in the community to help out people’s awareness of natural whole foods. A couple different programs that they are involved in are the “Green plate club”, which is done throughout the Athens city schools, the purpose of this program is to start to bring the slow food movement to Athens and make people aware of the healthy side effects of it as well. Another program that they have significant ties to is the “Rural Action” program which is to preserve watersheds and help in area wide clean- ups around the community. They also donate gist certificates to business around the Athens community for helping out in these various activities too.
Della Zona is headed in the right direction as fair as slow foods are concerned, they are doing all they can do for this community to try to make people aware of the good things that can come out of whole and natural foods. They aren’t necessarily trying to persuade them to make a change or to change how their eating but simply just giving them the information that they need to know, so there is no confusion to what is going on in the slow food movement towards Athens. Bob and Christine have done a great job in building their business up to be one of Athens finest, they’re not necessarily trying to expand and make chain of similar restaurants but have more of an interest in just helping others out, who are also trying to open a business similar to theirs.
Appendix:
1. What is the history and/or vision of Della Zona?
2. Mission statement?
3. Define Slow Food?
4. Is there a cost difference in local and commercial foods?
5. What are some goals that you have set forward when first opening Della Zona?
6. What were some major setbacks that you have faced since opening?
7. Is there any difference in your restaurant compared to other similar restaurants around the Athens area?
8. What type of things to you guys do in the community to try and give back?