In the Beginning: An American Dream
A Short History
Doris grew up in Mariazell, Austria, a beautiful town famous for its Basilica and visits by the Pope. She spent her summers helping her family at their hotel, learning the traditions of hospitality and pastry-making from an early age. She later honed her skills working in various Konditoreis including the famed Klosterbrau Hotel in Seefeld in Tyrol, and eventually moved to Zurich, Switzerland to further build her career as a pastry chef.
I grew up in Bombay, India and moved to Switzerland to pursue my education in hospitality, gaining valuable experience working at the world-famous Dolder Grand Hotel.
A chance meeting in 1989 brought Doris and I together. We often talked about America and wondered what possibilities might await us on the other side of the pond. We shared a dream of someday owning our own bakery and coffee shop—a place where we could combine our love of European pastries, coffee, and classical music.
Dreams do come true.
In early February 1995, I took a gamble and gave up my job, sold my car and came to Columbus with all my savings of roughly $20,000. I was determined to find a new path for our future and I promised Doris that she would follow soon.
I barely knew my way around the city. I spent hours riding aimlessly through unfamiliar neighborhoods, searching for opportunities but not finding quite what I was looking for.
I had given myself what now seems like an impossible task: three weeks to find the opportunity that would shape the rest of our lives.
Three weeks passed without success.
Not quite ready to give up, I postponed my return to Innsbruck by one more week.
And then, with just three days remaining before my departure, I found GiAntonio’s Bakery on North High Street in Clintonville.
The rest, as they say, is history.
On April 1, 1995, Mozart’s opened its doors at 2885 North High Street.
What began as a dream shared by two young people in Switzerland had finally found a home in Columbus, Ohio.
You must be logged in to post a comment.