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Giuseppe | Richard | Salem | Our Crew

Giuseppe Ciuffa
Chef and Entrepreneur

Born in Ferrara, Italy, Giuseppe Ciuffa spent his early years watching his mother prepare phenomenal Italian dishes indigenous to Northern Italy.  He was fortunate to spend many weekends with his family visiting farmers, winemakers, and cheesemakers all over Emilia-Romagna, an area known for its great food.

At the age of 9, Giuseppe’s father retired from his post as an officer for the Carabinieri (State Police) and made the difficult decision to move his family back to their farm in their native town of Cori, just outside of Rome. In the beautiful valley of Cori, Giuseppe's time on the farm was spent helping his father make olive oil and wine and cultivate organic gardens.  His family managed the everyday needs of their sustainable farm, and his mother opened a shop to sell the farm's produce. 

At age 14, Giuseppe decided to drop out of school and begin his career as a pizza boy in one of the town’s new restaurants.  It took only a few months for him to decide that the food and entertainment industry was going to be his life and his career.  He then moved to a family friend’s resort, the prestigious Hotel Punta Rossa, where Giuseppe joined a very creative and dedicated staff, and where he earned his hospitality stripes by working in practically every department to learn as much as he could.

Giuseppe joined the Carabinieri to honor his father's wishes at 19.  After a short 18 months of being a “cop,” his true passion for food took him back north to Trieste to work at Antico Café San Marco, where in short order, he became the “Man In Charge.”  Eventually, Giuseppe felt it was time to explore new opportunities. He came to San Diego in 1994 for three months to study English and enjoy some time off. But his sabbatical was short-lived, as Giuseppe almost immediately took an opportunity to work for a partnership of prominent restaurant professionals in what was then a newly burgeoning Gaslamp District.

In 1998 Giuseppe decided to fully settle in La Jolla, the neighborhood he called home, by purchasing an existing bakery there called Come On In! Cafe.  For the next 5 years, he helped grow the cafe, moving into new locations that included the Museum Café at the Museum Of Contemporary Art San Diego.  

After 5 years of working long bakery hours, he changed directions again and sold his stake in Come On In! Cafe to create Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering. He revamped the Museum Café and grew the catering and cafe concepts to what it is today, a thriving culinary enterprise and favorite of San Diego's finest clients.  Most recently, Giuseppe opened the Sculpture Court Café at the San Diego Museum Of Art in Balboa park.

Giuseppe Restaurant & Fine Catering specializes in high-end event and special occasion catering that focuses on sustainable agriculture and supporting the local economy.  Giuseppe himself is also sought out for his health and fitness perspective, being an avid cyclist and competitive triathlete.  Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering has won several awards, including the honor of being named the La Jolla Light Readers' favorite caterer for 2 years in a row.

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