By Rosanna Caira
For Franco Prevedello the recipe to success is both simple and straightforward: work hard and do what you love. The legendary Toronto restaurateur is both an icon and an innovator, owning and operating a portfolio of at least 25 restaurants over a career than spans more than 50 years. While Prevedello’s impact on the Toronto restaurant scene is evidenced by the sheer number of successful eateries he created and operated, his scope of influence was far greater. He was one of the industry’s most important trailblazers, a culinary visionary who created fashionable concepts that were ahead of their time, recognizing the importance of great food and strong vintages, espousing an impeccable customer service ethos and developing a cadre of chefs and restaurateurs who went on to change the culinary landscape of Toronto, leaving a legacy that stands the test of time.
While his stable of restaurants include landmarks such as Quo Vadis, Biffi, Bindi, Splendido, Terra, Acrobat, Acqua, Centro, Carbon Bar, Pronto and the Ontario Pavilion at Expo 86, his crowning glory and the restaurant he will always be best remembered for is Centro, the 240-seat showpiece he created in 1987 at Yonge and Eglinton replicating the feel of an Italian piazza in his native birthplace of Asolo in the Veneto Region of Italy.
Prevedello arrived in Toronto in 1965, armed with a degree from the hotel school in Stresa, Italy, knowing the skills he learned at this esteemed Italian educational institute were his ticket to travel the world. He got his start working in hotels and cruiseships and worked in Toronto for two years before heading to Montreal to work at the Canadian Pavilion at Expo ‘67. After marrying Barbara Louise Jackson, the two travelled through Europe for six months, returning to settle in Windsor, Ont., where he became restaurant manager at the Holiday Inn. Ultimately, Toronto beckoned and Prevedello returned to work at iconic landmarks such as La Scala, Winston’s, the Skyline Hotel, the Westbury Hotel and the Hyatt, where, as part of the opening team, he served as Banquet manager. Working alongside industry heavyweights such as restaurateurs John Arena and Charles Grieco, as well as chefs Tony Roldan and Gunter Gugelmeier, added a nuanced layer to his development and influenced the aspiring restaurateur to carve out his own style melding the best qualities of each of these revered mentors.
It was a pivotal time for Toronto as it was morphing away from its reputation as staid and provincial Hogtown into a sophisticated dining destination and Prevedello was one of the key architects of that change, helping to develop and create restaurants brimming with sophistication, flair and great hospitality. His first venture, Quo Vadis, was an intimate Italian restaurant located on Church St. Looking back, Prevedello admits that particular restaurant didn’t represent his style nor did it properly reflect what he wanted to create but it proved to be a good stepping stone into his future success.
Hans Gerhardt, who worked with Prevedello as part of the opening team at the Hyatt in Yorkville (which later became the Four Seasons), recalls even in those early days, Prevedello wanted to be a restaurateur. “Franco could see opportunities and one could feel his urge to have his own operation, which he did within a year after joining us at the Hyatt by taking over Quo Vadis. His aim was always to have his own operation — to do it his way.”
His next two ventures were more reflective of the fresh and modern approach Prevedello wanted to imbue in his eateries. Biffi became the city’s first authentic ristorante while others like Bindi and Pronto became overnight successes. “I wanted to do something fresh and something new,” recalls Prevedello, who realized to do this, he needed to find and develop fresh, young talent.
“I was able to find great chefs,” says Prevedello, pointing to Raffaelo Ferrari, who he brought over from Italy, Marc Thuet, Michael Bonacini and Chris McDonald — just to name a few — chefs he discovered, hired and helped nurture into culinary heavyweights before they left to create their own successful businesses. The restaurateur says “they found it interesting to work at Centro because we were doing great things.” Prevedello was particularly proud of Ferrari, whom he considered like a son. His confidence in his ability was so strong, he made him a partner in Centro. But sadly, the young chef passed away at the age of 32 leaving a lasting mark on Prevedello.
With Prevedello’s uncanny vision, his perfectionism and his willingness to roll up his sleeves to get things done, and, the innovative food created by this exciting collection of young chefs, Centro quickly become the talk of the town. Prevedello saw the potential to widen the scope of Italian cuisine by fusing Italian classics with the fresh appeal of California dishes, popularized by chefs such as Jeremiah Towers of Stars in San Francisco. He even sent his chefs to live in California for two months to better understand the cuisine before opening Centro.
The experiment proved successful. “It was open from Monday to Saturday,” says Prevedello, adding “we could have done three times the number of covers.”
Apart from the innovative menu, which highlighted dishes rarely seen on Toronto restaurant menus, and ingredients not readily used in many restaurants at the time, including extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and radicchio, Prevedello was one of the first restaurateurs to feature open kitchens, woodfired ovens imported from Italy, and he was a big believer in showcasing wines not readily available elsewhere in Canada, many of which he imported directly from Italy.
When he couldn’t get the wines he wanted through the LCBO, he started visiting the Verona Wine Fair (Vinitaly) to source them directly, later creating his own wine agency, Prevedello & Mathews. “I had containers of wine — about 5,000 to 6,000 cases a year — placed through private orders and to supplement his inventory, he also promoted an interesting mix of California wines. “I always worked to keep the prices at an honest and fair level,” he says, adding that these days, he sees a lot of outrageous wine prices, something that still bothers him to this day.
Centro quickly become the “it” restaurant, the place to be seen, and it was Prevedello’s welcoming and affable style, and his strong attention to detail that made everyone who walked through the doors feel ultra special. In many ways, Prevedello, believed that “a restaurant is like a theatre and every night is a different show.”
“Franco has always been a trailblazer, ahead of his time in creating restaurant concepts that took the city by surprise,” says Yannick Bigourdan, owner of Toronto’s Lucie Restaurant, and Prevedello’s partner, first in the top-rated Nota Bene in 2009 and currently in the Carbon Bar on Queen St. E. “He was, and still is, an extraordinary host, combining charm with an unparalleled work ethic that sets him apart in the industry,” says Bigourdan. “Even after all these years, I am continually amazed by his relentless pursuit of new opportunities and his ability to maintain such a dynamic lifestyle.
Bigourdan believes “Franco truly changed everything. He introduced Toronto to a new way of dining — offering better food and better wines, all in an atmosphere that was both fun and electric. But perhaps even more importantly, he brought together incredible talent and nurtured each of his ‘protégés,’ enabling them to grow into leaders in their own right. His influence has left a lasting mark on the city’s dining scene.” “He inspired many to follow in his footsteps,” adds Gerhardt.
Arpi Magyar, chef and former partner of Prevedello in Splendido, agrees. “He impacted so many lives and careers in the industry. Warm and compassionate, Franco was a great business partner of mine, and mentor to many. I love the man,” he enthuses, adding “Franco is often referred to as the ‘Godfather’ of Toronto restaurants. His number-1 priority was always customer service and an elevated dining experience.”
For chef Marc Thuet, Prevedello was a mentor, a great friend and a father figure. “His biggest legacy was that he encouraged, supported and guided so many others careers in his path. He not only has given each and everyone of us a chance in this industry, but also his love and passion for food,” and quips Thuet, “he proved to everyone that an Italian and a Frenchman can work together.”
As a perfectionist, Prevedello could be tough and demanding, but he was also generous with his teams. He was one of the first restaurateurs to offer shares in his restaurants to top employees, realizing it was the best way to keep talent. He paid employees well, offering “huge bonuses,” and in one case, when one of his top chefs kept arriving late to work because of problems with his car, he provided him with money to buy a new one.
While Prevdello has always had a nose for real estate, intuitively knowing the makings of a good location (at one time he owned more than eight buildings in the city and was landlord to many successful restaurateurs), he believes, restaurant success is about more than just good real estate. “Centro was a good location but not a great location,” he emphasizes, adding that the restaurant’s success was equally about creating an inventive menu and about making the restaurant guest feel über special. “You have to cater to that, it’s your job as a restaurateur to make your customers feel good.” And, just as important, says Prevedello, is having passion for what you do. “I worked every day until two in the morning,” says the entrepreneur “because I loved it.”
He also firmly believed that a menu has to constantly evolve. “You have to keep it fresh and interesting, but you have to keep it moving. I see so many restaurants that have the same menu for five years; you can’t get too comfortable,” he explains.
As evidenced by the beautiful space that many of his restaurants inhabited, Prevedello was one of the first restaurateurs in the city to understand the importance of design as part of a restaurant’s overall ambiance, zeroing in on myriad details — from the art on the walls to fine leather chairs he imported from Italy at a cost of $1,500 a piece. “They were beautiful chairs and they were expensive but a good chair is important,” he stresses, adding “it lasts a lifetime.”
These days, the revered 78-year old entrepreneur and father of two daughters, Barbara and Kathryn, is semi-retired, spending a few days a week at Mirabella, a condo developer, where he is an investor. It allows him to tap in to his love of construction and his penchant for creating something out of nothing. He also remains a partner in the Carbon Bar, and though not involved in the day-to-day details, he meets weekly with Bigourdan to advise on various matters. In recent years, he’s also became a winemaker, launching his own Prosecco label, produced from grapes from his vineyard in his birthplace of Asolo vineyards that have been in his family for years and now tended to by his nephew. Together they produce about 8,000 cases a year, selling it through the LCBO once or twice a year. “It’s a dream for me, as a farm boy,” adding that the wine sells out instantly when it becomes available. He still has family (a brother and a sister) in Italy and visits them a few times a year.
Though Prevedello has been out of the restaurant spotlight for several years, he still gets a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye when he recalls his storied life as a restaurateur. He’s equally proud of the community impact he had by founding, along with his wife Barbara, Second Harvest, Toronto’s first and most successful food-recovery program, still going stronger than ever after more than 35 years.
As proud as Prevedello is, his legion of fans, including those whom he mentored and influenced along the way, get the same look of pride on their faces when they fondly recall the heyday of Toronto restaurants under Prevedello’s tutelage and influence. “Franco’s greatest accomplishment as a restaurateur is the immense respect and admiration he has earned among his peers,” says Bigourdan, who he warmly sees him as “more than a mentor but also a true friend.” While many have opened remarkable restaurants, few have garnered the widespread esteem and recognition within the community as Franco. His willingness to make time for others and provide support during difficult times is, in my view, his most admirable quality.”
The legendary restaurateur has shared many lessons with the countless protegés he’s influenced. “Franco has taught me so much over the years,” says Bigourdan. “He taught me to trust my instincts and to act upon them with confidence. He showed me that mistakes, however painful, are necessary to see things through and to learn from them. But most importantly, Franco taught me that values like loyalty, respect, and friendship far outweigh financial gain or fame.”
