By Federico Donti
Handmade Café was born in Perugia in 2010 from the will of its creator who thought of an ideal place both for a formal breakfast and for an aperitif with friends: “We immediately became a point of reference for the city of Perugia, also thanks to our attention to the preparation of cocktails and the famous ‘Apericena'”.
“We were the first in the city to offer Milanese-style aperitifs,” they tell us.
Over the years, the group has grown and evolved to meet the needs of customers, opening two new stores: ‘HandMade Centova’ and ‘Handmade Collestrada’.
“In 2018 HandMade Collestrada was born, our store open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week… We are closed, just think, for only four hours a year, for the company Christmas lunch!”, they point out with amusement. In the first months of 2019, Handmade Centova was opened. Both of these points of sale also have the oil part (petrol, diesel and in Centova also LPG stations) and are tobacco and monopoly retailers.
HandMade Collestrada is a warm and welcoming place: at the helm we find Gina, the store manager, who together with all the staff accompanies customers in the various phases of the day: starting from the very early morning with rich breakfasts and a wide variety of croissants (you can find hot croissants starting at 2:00 in the morning), and then move on to the savoury snack with Handmade pizzas and sandwiches, and then continue to lunch with the cuisine of chef Fabio Panunzi. Here the meat dominates with the grill in view, without forgetting first courses of the Umbrian tradition. The attention to ingredients is very high and local suppliers are preferred (the meat of the famous Gran Grigliata comes from Umbrian farms).
Chef Panunzi’s kitchen produces most of the breads on sale in the group’s various stores, from pizza to shovel, focaccia, bread and recently you can also find torta al testo.
The day continues with the afternoon; The display case is full of quick savoury and sweet snacks. HandMade Collestrada is also ideal for an aperitif in the mid-afternoon or before returning home from work – and concludes its service with dinner.
The historic headquarters in the city of Perugia also offers a very transversal service, from breakfast to dinner, passing through aperitifs accompanied by cocktails by Francesco Merini – who boasts twenty years of experience in the sector and is one of the leading experts in mixology in Perugia, as well as a professor at the University of Flavors – and musical evenings on weekends with DJs and ‘guaranteed’ lightheartedness.
“With chef Michele Radicchia, we have created a menu that combines traditional Umbrian dishes with new culinary trends. In fact, we would like to offer our customers a wider choice of possibilities, also offering a complete menu for a dinner with friends or a business dinner”.
Without a doubt, “HandMade Café” is an ideal place for private parties or corporate events: in winter in the spacious room or in the private room that can be reserved and in summer in the wonderful private garden. Graduations, birthdays, anniversaries of various kinds are organized and followed with attention and dedication by the employees and the Events and Communication Manager.
Handmade’s operational mentality – eloquently depicted in its logo – requires that the bakery, pastry and catering are handled by master pastry chefs and chefs, while the cocktails come to life by bartenders of the highest level. A place not to be missed, which after so many years has decided to grow and change, following the major trends of the moment and making them its own, without giving up the company philosophy based on genuineness, quality and courtesy.
Info:
‘HandMade Cafè Perugia’ Via G.B. Pontani 41. For reservations Tel. 0753722741 / 3534142557
‘HandMade Cafè Collestrada Perugia’, Loc. Collestrada S.S. 45 Km. 72,227. Open 24h, 7 a.m. For information Tel. 075.5997793
‘HandMade Cafè Centova Perugia’, Viale Centova 3 Tel 075 3724927
