17 - Mike Di Donato, president of Faema Company Ltd. remembers his revolution

Mike Di Donato, president of Faema Company Ltd. remembers his revolution

In the big, red brick building, at 672 Dupont Street, past, present and future coexist.
The past, because for decades the Ford Motor Co. assembled here its legendary Model T, that was tested on the large terrace on the roof: about 30,000 cars each year.
The present, because this 160,000 square feet building, erected in 1914, has become a noteworthy piece of architectural archaeology, fully restored and renovated and mostly rented to architects, lawyers, interior designers, real estate agents and computer dealers.
The future, because it is from these prestigious premises that Faema Company Ltd., owned by Mike Di Donato and his four sons, is planning the further development of its activities, born out of Italian initiative and inventiveness.
And this is the reason why this story deserves being told.
He, i.e. Lorenzo Michele (Mike) Di Donato, company founder and president, from San Nicola Baronia (Avellino), did not come to Canada to escape poverty. "On the contrary" he says, "in Italy I was well paid: I worked as a technician in the construction of huge water tanks for aqueducts, and I was valued".
Then why did you dump everything and come to Canada?
"Because in that period, in the mid-Fifties, labour, especially technicians, was in great demand in Canada, and I heard that salaries were high. I thought: I'll go there, make some money and return to Italy. I'll start my own company and become a contractor for aqueduct works. This was my goal".
Instead, you came and stayed. Why did you change your mind?
"I came here in November 1956, and contrary to my expectations I found out that Canada did not need technicians at all, but only unskilled workers. And I also found thousands of Italian immigrants who had a difficult time trying to get a job, also because the structures lending assistance to foreigners only came into existence later on. I had to pay for English language classes myself; nowadays they're given for free. But I also noticed that these people were homesick and integrating with difficulty, they wanted to taste Italy on the table: there were no coffee bars, there was neither pizza nor pasta. You'll never guess how they cooked it".
How?
"Canadians cooked all the pasta they needed for the week at one time, and then when they needed some they boiled it again. Imagine what sort of glue they ate! But they were convinced that was the only way to cook pasta. I learned it the hard way".
What do you mean?
"I'll tell you an incident: when I opened my first bar-restaurant, competitors accused me of acting improperly because I saved on gas. Since I served spaghetti Italian style, "al dente", they thought I was undercooking the spaghetti to save gas. Therefore, in their opinion I was cheating my customers".
Let's go back to your first years in Canada, Mr. Di Donato. You saw all these immigrants in need of at least an Italian meal. What did you do?
"I found out I could be a restaurateur. After all, my mother had a bar in our hometown, and I had been helping her in my spare time. Therefore I knew, in a sense, the tricks of the trade. Then I discovered something else: Canadians did not know espresso coffee that our immigrants valued like gold. To make a long story short, in 1957, I opened the Caffè San Marco on St. Clair. 'San Marco' because the first espresso machine I imported was manufactured by a company in Udine bearing that name.
What was the outcome?
"An immediate success: our immigrants found there not only Italian-style espresso but also properly cooked pasta, fresh tomato sauce, pizza and gelati, Italian ice cream. Pizza and gelati were also more or less unknown here. Pizza was called 'tomato pie', and they believed it was a kind of tomato-flavoured cake, imagine that! As to gelati, they hadn't the faintest idea about them. In a short time I conquered not only Italian but also Canadian customers. Those same Canadians who spitted out espresso the first time they had it and who would not give it up today, just like cappuccino".
That means you played a leading role in the first Canadian food revolution.
"If it pleases you, you may say so. But don't think it was a bed of roses. In order to open the bar on St. Clair I obtained a credit line from a bank. One day the branch manager came to eat in my restaurant. He finished, got back to his office, and canceled my credit line. I protested and asked for explanations, but none were ever officially given. Somebody I knew in the bank told me: 'Mike, the director said you're too fast. You were fast in making a fortune, and you could go broke just as fast'. I paid the money back because I knew what I was doing, especially my willingness to work hard. In fact I sold the bar on St. Clair for a staggering figure and I bought a downtown place, which I called 'Lorenzo's' (my first name). Here I introduced some absolute novelties for Toronto, like first-class appliances, a visible pizza oven, and pizza home delivery. And I introduced Faema to Canada. With that machine, the famous President model, I turned coffee making upside down, also because I had the very best coffee blends coming from Italy. Shortly thereafter, other Italian restaurants, and even Canadian ones, wanted Faema coffee machines, and business was so good for the Italian company that I became their sole agent for Canada. Lorenzo's - seating 150, not exactly a closet - became a must-go not only for Italians, that in the meantime were making their mark, but also for Canadians, that were finally learning how to eat well. I had set the basement up as a nightclub where exclusively Italian music was played. When they were performing in Toronto, Aldo Fabrizi, Nino Manfredi and Ornella Vanoni were patrons of Lorenzo's because - so they said - there was a piece of Italy there".
With a life this frantic, when did you find time to set up a family?
"Soon after coming to Canada. Dora and I were engaged back at the hometown, and her brother was living here in Toronto. Some months after my arrival, she came to stay with her brother, then we published the banns and got married. Four sons were born: Pasquale, the company's comptroller, Rocco, sales manager, Giuseppe, operations manager, and Lorenzo, marketing director. They are my real fortune".
What is Faema Company Ltd. today?
"In terms of property, seven bars and snack bars directly operated, this building on Dupont, a smaller one on Davenport and another one in Hamilton. Here on Dupont we have the first floor equipped as a bar, where Ford Motor Company exhibited its Model T, and the second floor is a showroom where all the Faema coffee machines (both for the bar and the household) are on display. In terms of market penetration, we are present with Faema machines practically all over Canada through our distributors and subagents and another large showroom in Vancouver".
Where are you going from here, Mr. Di Donato?
"Where my willingness to do things will lead me. Even if I am of retirement age - I reached 65 - I do not want to let go, even though my sons practically hold the reins of the company. There's still a lot to do to improve eating and coffee drinking in Canada. You said I played a leading role in the food revolution. I thank you, but I reply that the revolution is not over yet".

Publication Date: 2002-12-22
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=2192