The Shop, as it’s lovingly known in the Biondi family, has been a vision in the making for many years. It began when Franco was just 17 years old, and he and his family immigrated from Lima, Peru. With hard work, grit and resilience his family got their start in the United States. They owned and operated a small Italian restaurant as well as a breakfast cafe in the San Francisco Bay Area . Franco spent his first years in the country working in his family’s restaurants, learning the ins and outs of the business from waiting tables to cooking behind the line. He later expanded his experience at a variety of other restaurants from diners to fine dining. Eventually owning his own shop was always in the back of his mind. But the stability of earning a modest living at the proverbial 9-5, having a family, raising two young sons and cooking for his friends and family has been his focus for the past 20 years.
Recently, as the kids are older and the family is settled, Franco and his wife Katie set out to create a place where Franco could put his passion and talents into a restaurant he could call his own. The Village of Fair Oaks, with its close knit community and small town charm became the setting for their venture. They aspired to create an experience for the town of Fair Oaks, reminiscent of a historic European tavern where good food is paired with even better wine, conversation, and community. Bodega Biondi was born.
