Andrea Lepore photographed on Del Paso Boulevard, the area Lepore is actively working to revitalize.
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Andrea Lepore
Founder + Creative Director HOT ITALIAN
“Tutto e possibile” — The belief that “anything is possible” connected the two passionate, thirty-something founders of HOT ITALIAN — one from an Italian- American family of artists and the other, an artistic pizzaiolo from the Italian Riviera. Andrea Lepore’s and Fabrizio Cercatore’s mission was to build a place where pizza brings people together to celebrate Italy’s new generation of art, music, design, sport, food and wine. By combining these elements with California’s urban lifestyle, seasonal, quality ingredients, and a conscious commitment to our environment and community, HOT ITALIAN hopes to inspire, make a difference, and create better neighborhoods.
The UC Davis graduate spent years creating successful projects and campaigns for professional sports stars, after a decade with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs, as founder of the nation’s first cause-related sports marketing agency, earning the “Innovator of the Year” award by National Association of Women Business Owners.
Lepore developed, designed, and was the project manager for HOT ITALIAN turning a dilapidated building and corner into a thriving community hub and successful business in a difficult economic environment. Lepore drives HOT ITALIAN’s mission to make money while making a difference through the brand’s initiatives working with local art and music organizations, and the recently launched Create In Cal (www.createincal.com). Lepore was selected by the Mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson to serve on the “For Art’s Sake” Initiative Leadership Team and HOT ITALIAN garnered the 2011 Arts & Business Council Award for “Business Support of the Arts.”
HOT ITALIAN Midtown in California’s Capital City become only the third restaurant in California and the first in the region to achieve LEED Certified Silver (September, 2010) and was named a Bicycle Friendly Business (the first restaurant in California) by the League of American Bicyclists in March, 2011.
Based on the success of the flagship location, HOT ITALIAN has opened the brand’s second location in the East Bay and Lepore is currently developing other urban projects, which includes the revitalization of the Del Paso Boulevard in Sacramento.
We asked Andrea a few questions…
What are the 3 important things you would include in your things-still-to-do list? GO TO BALI, OPEN THE GRAND FILM HOUSE, BUY A CONVERTIBLE
What is the one thing that you love the most about yourself? ABILITY TO FIND HUMOR IN ANY SITUATION
What moves you and or touches you about your community? ALL OF THE CALIFORNIANS WHO CAN CREATE AN IDEA AND MAKE IT A REALITY
What are you most proud of? MY FAMILY, INCLUDING MY DOG
What gets you up in the morning? COFFEE
If you have a completely free day what would you CHOOSE to do with it? I BELIEVE EVERY DAY IS FREE
What are you most passionate about? GOOD DESIGN
Do you have a childhood memory when you knew the essence of who you’d grow up to be? PLAYING RESTAURANT IN MY GRANDPARENTS BASEMENT
Are you surprised because your career is a happy accident or are you delighted because it’s what you always wanted? DELIGHTED BECAUSE I’VE CREATED A LIFE WHERE WORK AND PLAY ONE IN THE SAME
