Coffee with Sam

For the past 40 years Sam Amato has run Amatos. Amatos is a family run Italian restaurant near 63rd and Center. It is Tuesday morning and they are very busy. We were constantly interrupted with a quick hello or thank you to his customers.

1. When did you find you had a passion for cooking?
The name Amato, I obviously am Italian. I would wonder into the kitchen as kid and watch, eventually I was allowed to help.

2. Sam, you and I have very similar histories. We both began our careers in the corporate world of copier sales for Xerox. We were both extremely successful. Why did you leave and did you immediately open up Amatos?
When time permitted, I would set up a 8'x8' stand at fairs, carnivals and other events. I would make Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches. I found myself during the work week at Xerox looking forward to working all day making sandwiches. So I resigned from Xerox and started making my Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches. It became so successful that I opened Amatos.


3. Any advise for a future restaurant owner?
Yes, for starter be prepared not to be sick or take a vacation for the first ten to 20 years. Seriously though, you really need to be there all the time. Second I would say put more money into the quality of the food. The atmosphere can come later. Looking around I see a lot of opportunity for atmosphere and it has been forty years. He sees me looking around and probably knows what I am thinking. Sam went on further to say. I come to work every morning at 6:00. I do what needs to be done, I do it very well, and then I go home around 2:00. We are not open for dinner.

4. Why not dinner? There is a great deal of development in this area including the new condos across the street.
Amatos has never been open for dinner. I do not want to be open for dinner. We are available for providing food for catering events, that is about it.
5. What are some of your best learning lessons?
I had to completely untrain everything I had been taught as a sales person. I had to learn how to listen and talk second. You have to not only listen to what the customer is saying, but also to how it is being said. It is our goal to know the customers name after their first visit. I want it to be like they are walking into their own kitchen. We like to call this 'Cheers without Beers'.




5. How did you create you menu?
We did not start out with a menu. Do you see the chalk board over there? That was it. Of course if a customer came in and wanted something different, I would make it if I had the ingredients. In fact most of the items on our current menu are based upon customer request or mistakes. Yes I said mistake. There is the Mistake Omelet or the Rod Street 321 named after a customer. The menu pretty much stays the same.



6. I saw you on an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on the food network, tell me about it and Guy Fieri? What has this exposure done for your business?
When I heard Guy was coming, I was a bit concerned. I am extremely laid back and he seems so full of energy. I assumed that he would have some of the attitude issues like other Chefs that I had heard of. My assumptions were wrong. He is full of a lot of energy, and is a really nice persons. We had a lot of fun making Ricotta for my Ricotta and Berry Pancakes. That is what has changed, I have customers that drive up from Kansas City almost every weekend for it. In fact, we have a map of the United States as you walk in. See all the push pins. We have had customers from all fifty states and several foreign countries. That is what the show did for us.

7. Any parting words?
Once a customer enters your restaurant, it is your responsibility to make them want to come back.