[MUSIC PLAYING]
CHRIS BORGATTI: What I love about the Bronx
is the community.
There's quite a few family-owned businesses that are still here.
Many have celebrated 100 years.
We're only 83 years.
I feel like we're babies.
JOAN BORGATTI: Yeah, the babies.
I'm Joan.
CHRIS BORGATTI: I'm Chris.
And we are the owners of Borgatti's in the Bronx.
Borgatti's was founded by my grandparents, Lindo
and Maria Borgatti.
I started working here at age of 18.
I would help out in the back with ravioli production.
And of course, learning how to sweep the floor
was also one of the jobs.
JOAN BORGATTI: I had a part-time job across the street
in the pharmacy.
And I came into buy ravioli one day.
CHRIS BORGATTI: She caught my eye.
And I had one of my workers bring a rose over there,
a single rose.
JOAN BORGATTI: It was destiny.
You didn't tell him your famous line.
Let me take you away from all of this, meaning the pharmacy.
CHRIS BORGATTI: That's what I used to say.
JOAN BORGATTI: So I went from there to here.
[LAUGHTER]
CHRIS BORGATTI: Today we're still using grandma's recipes--
[INAUDIBLE],, whole eggs, some salt and pepper,
and some grated cheese.
The pasta's made by hand, old school.
I learned the business from my dad, hands
on, how to operate it, how to conduct myself,
how to treat employees.
He taught me a lot of life skills,
especially how to be able to give back to the community.
And actually, all of the businesses in the neighborhood
reach out to one another and buy products from each other.
And when people come here, that's what they feel.
They feel the goodness.
To say it's easy would be a lie.
And Joanie has been my rock here.
And there are many times I had to lean on her.
[LAUGHING]
JOAN BORGATTI: Don't start.
CHRIS BORGATTI: The store used to be
supported by many of the customers who lived here.
Of course, as they retired and moved away,
I thought we'd be, like, done.
JOAN BORGATTI: Every other person
that came in the door had a story.
I moved to Florida.
I went to North Carolina.
I miss you.
Christmas without you is terrible.
We had people asking us constantly
if we were going to start shipping.
So I learned how to put up a website.
And it started just to really grow.
Now, online sales are 30% of our business.
And half of that comes from Google.
And they do share their stories online, like thank you.
And now my daughter can be raised on your ravioli
the same way I was.
All those reviews are very helpful for reaching
new customers.
Every weekend, I'm like, where are they coming from?
CHRIS BORGATTI: Some of these people I don't even recognize.
JOAN BORGATTI: Yeah.
CHRIS BORGATTI: My father--
I says we're part of a story here,
part of the history of this business being
in this neighborhood for the past 83 years.
So I wrote down on a piece of paper
to remind myself each day, working
to keep their dream alive.
That's how I feel.
And I know they're watching over us.