The Florida Keys is world renowned for sparkling waters, unparalleled sunsets, endless happy hours and the ubiquitous fish sandwich. Mahi or snapper, fried or blackened, along with a slice of Key lime pie and an iced cold drink; it’s the quintessential Florida Keys meal. But man cannot live on fish alone; something that husband-and-wife team Tony and Isis Wright, owner/operators of Italian Food Company (IFC) banked on when they opened their first restaurant in Key Largo in 2021. Now, with three successful restaurants – each with its own distinct character, style and menu – and a fourth in the pipeline for 2024, the Wrights are officially restaurateurs on the rise in one of the country’s most unique destinations.
Italian Food Company Key Largo was the first to open, a charming indoor/outdoor space with authentic Neapolitan wood-burning pizzas and soulful, homestyle Southern Italian cookery that had cars backed up for close to a mile. Italian Food Company Islamorada is a two-story trattoria-style eatery with a full bar and a larger, more elevated menu and live entertainment that turns the dining room into a dance floor most weekend evenings. Open since July 2022, a seat here in season is as prized as a record-breaking marlin. The most recent concept – Italian Food Company Express in Tavernier – opened in June 2023 and offers Roman-style pizzas, swoon-worthy sandwiches and grab-n-go delights perfect for folks heading in or out of The Keys.
Like so many business stories of the past few years, this one got its start with the pandemic. The Wrights’ other businesses were dependent on international travel and were sidelined quickly by the global crisis. The entrepreneurial Keys residents and savvy real estate investors soon found themselves wondering “What’s next?” The answer: turn one of their holdings – a former Papa John’s location on Key Largo – into an authentic Italian restaurant; something the food-obsessive couple saw lacking in The Keys. And although the Wrights had no previous restaurant experience, they quickly embraced the challenge. Both grew up in a culture of generous hospitality and the comfort of home-cooked food, with large family gatherings for holidays and the spirit of shared meals ingrained in their upbringings. Isis is from Miami, part of a Cuban-American clan, and Tony, the son of an American military veteran and Sicilian mother, is an incredible home cook with a repository of authentic recipes who quickly became part of what would become the Italian Food Company team.
In fact, every Tuesday she hand rolls meatballs for all of the restaurants; just one example of the dedication to tradition the brand embraces. With a passion for great food, love of their community and its small-town feel and the desire to create something special for their neighbors as well as visitors, the Italian Food Company was born.
The flagship Key Largo restaurant seats 100 inside and out in a beautiful garden setting. It becomes clear that this is not your typical Italian-American restaurant. From the hand-painted murals depicting colorful street scenes and glazed/painted volcanic stone tables so heavy they need to be transported on wheels, to ceramics and serving plates to the heartbeat of the restaurant – the central wood-burning oven – everything has been imported from Italy. The menu is simple, accessible and authentic. Here, diners can choose from a well-priced, comprehensive selection of salads and soups, pastas, entrees and desserts.
Arguably the focus here is pizza, Neapolitan-style, made in the wood-burning oven overseen by pizzaiolo Leopoldo Figlioli, who seems as if he was plucked from the streets of Napoli. A casually welcoming place that has struck a chord as the perfect spot for dining with friends and family, Italian Food Company Key Largo captures the “come as you are” ethos of the Florida Keys. The must-try pizzas, meant to be enjoyed fresh from the oven piping hot, are a menu highlight with standouts including Margherita, Diavola, Quattro Formaggi and Tartufo. Not to be missed is Boccas – IFC’s twist on a panini with freshly made pizza dough and stuffed with deliciousness ranging from mozzarella and meatballs to eggplant parm and sliced prosciutto di Parma.
On any given night you can witness regulars running up to and embracing managers and servers as one would a friend or family; in fact, many families have made the Italian Food Company part of their family, embracing any or all locations as their own and looking forward to each visit with anticipation and excitement.
