Ponte Hospitality Group
USA
Sector: Food service
Ponte hospitality Group: The Company
My name is Chris Ponte and I am the Chef Partner of Ponte Hospitality Group. In 2002, I opened my first restaurant, Café Ponte, in St Petersburg, FL. Café Ponte was a fine dining restaurant that allowed me and my team to showcase many of the traditional French culinary techniques ivn a white tablecloth setting that was beginning to gain traction in the Tampa restaurant scene in the early 2000’s.
We later renamed and reopened this concept in 2022 in Midtown Tampa under the name Ponte Modern American.
The reopening allowed us to reinvent ourselves while staying true to the roots that led to our long history of success at Café Ponte.
In 2016, myself along with partners Michelle Ponte, Chris Arreola, John Cooper, and Trudy Cooper joined to open our Hyde Park American bistro, On Swann.
On Swann was meant to attract diners looking for a local family-friendly restaurant that could meet any and all of your weekly dining wants and needs. Catering to both casual diners and those looking to impress, On Swann’s menu ranges from shareable charcuterie boards and hot chicken to prime ribeye and miso cod.
We found great success with this model and in 2019, along with my wife Michelle and two sons JT & Andy opened OLIVIA named after our daughter. OLIVIA reinforced the dining experience meant to cater to any occasion this time with Italian cuisine.
At OLIVIA, we aim to blend modern culinary techniques with all the traditional flavors of an Italian trattoria. We plan on opening our second location in St. Petersburg this coming Fall.
Numbers
All three restaurants: Ponte Modern American, OLIVIA & On Swann:
- employ anywhere from 75-100 employees depending on the timing of the year.
- All three restaurants are listed as a recommended restaurant in the Michelin guide.
- Annual total revenue of all 3 concepts ranges from $25M- $28M.
The challenge for Ponte hospitality Group
We were looking for a technology that could ensure the efficiency and consistency of our culinary process.
The advantages of Firex equipment: what our customers say
We chose Firex because it allows us to streamline our culinary process and ensure consistency in many of the items we prep on a daily basis. The efficiency and consistency of our culinary process is of the most importance to our restaurants and Firex certainly helps us do those things better. We use Cucimix at both locations and cook a wide variety of items from soup and rice to pressure stock and pressure braised items.
Chris Ponte – Chef Partner of Ponte Hospitality Group:”The efficiency and consistency of our culinary process is of the most importance to our restaurants and Firex certainly helps us do those things better”.
Come and visit Ponte in:
Ponte – Modern American Restaurant in Tampa, FL
OLIVIA – Italian Restaurant in Tampa, FL
On Swann in Tampa, FL
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