Who: Gianni and Rosemary Saffioti
What: A casual restaurant that offers fine dining and a piano bar. It’s open for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, dinner on Saturday and is closed Sundays.
Where: 1414 Hewitt Ave., Everett.
Founded: March 2007. Saffioti also operates Amica Bistro in Mukilteo. The Italian restaurant has been open for more than eight years. Prohibition’s menu will change with the seasons and offers fewer pasta dishes, more steaks and fresh fish entrees than does the Amica Bistro.
Employees: Prohibition employs 15 people total, six of those are full-time staff members.
Why Everett? “I’ve been attracted to Everett for a couple of years – even before the Events Center,” Saffioti said. Saffioti noted condo construction and the new marina, coupled with the city’s effort to clean up downtown, made Everett a promising locale. “I think it’s good for the restaurants … good for the neighborhood,” he said. And the opening of the Events Center made Everett even more tempting.
Biggest challenge during the next year: With all the growth in Everett, Saffioti anticipates an overabundance of restaurant openings in the next 12 months. He says the best way to beat the competition is to provide not only great customer service but also consistently good food.
Notable: The building owner made significant renovations to the location but initially planned to open another bar in Prohibition’s spot. Saffioti says his restaurant and piano bar provides the ambiance locally that you expect from eateries from Seattle. “You don’t have to go to Seattle anymore,” he said.
Quotable: Customers “really appreciate this restaurant being here,” Saffioti said. “It was like a needed thing in Everett.”
Michelle Dunlop, Herald writer
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