Giuseppe’s Restaurants Turn a Senior Project Into a Success Story

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Warm bread and garlic olive oil greet every table as parties sit down. Family recipes like Nonna’s Meatballs, fresh pasta made in-house, homemade sauces, and locally grown veggies fill each dish and plate, giving diners a taste of warmth and home. Desserts range from cheesecakes, cannolis, and homemade gelatos. 

In the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo sits Giuseppe’s Cucina Rustica, known to many, as simply “Giuseppe’s.” Named Best Restaurant in San Luis Obispo by the New Times for the last two years, it has become a popular place for both San Luis Obispo residents and visitors. 

Occupying the Sinsheimer Bros. Building, Giuseppe's sits on Monterey
Ave. in the heart of downtown SLO.
(Photo/Charlotte Lammersen)

“It’s almost like a place of comfort,” Reese Duffy said. “It was the last place I had dinner with my parents before they dropped me off this year, so whenever I go now with my friends it reminds me of that night.”  

Joe DiFronzo created the idea for his restaurant as a 24-year-old political science student at Cal Poly. While it raised some questions from his professors, he knew what he wanted and stuck to his original idea.  

“This is what I want to do with the rest of my life,” DiFronzo told Mustang News. “This will be more impactful and less material than a paper that’s going to be thrown away,” he told Mustang News. “My passion far exceeded my talent.” 

He opened the original location in Pismo Beach in 1988 and expanded to San Luis Obispo in 2005 with Palazzo Giuseppe. He moved the SLO restaurant in 2016 to the historic Sinsheimer Bros. Building, where they have been able to accommodate more guests and a larger kitchen. 

Along with the San Luis Obispo location, there is also a Pismo Beach restaurant. That has since been expanded as well from the Landmark Hotel to a larger location downtown. Along with a traditional sit-down dining experience, there is a Giuseppe’s Express across the street from the Pismo restaurant, a more causal establishment specializing in to-go orders and a fast dining experience. 
A vintage Fiat has been converted into a hostess stand,
welcoming guests with a special Italian touch.
(Photo/Charlotte Lammersen)

Coming from a family of Italian immigrants, DiFronzo knew the importance of using fresh ingredients and making things homemade. He worked in his family’s deli as a teen, and seeing the process stressed to him how important it is to do the work from scratch. His recipes come from his grandparents and some of the ingredients used, like the basils and tomatoes, come from DiFronzo’s garden. 

“It’s all about fresh, fresh sauce, pastas, local seafood, keeping it simple, keeping it real,” he told the New Times. “I’m not wanting to over-chef anything. I’m refocusing the menu to what I grew up with and ate; what was my favorite. I want the ingredients to speak for themselves,” DiFronzo told the New Times when he opened his new SLO location. 

Giuseppe’s has become a very popular spot among Cal Poly students. Business administration senior Ian Ma has been frequenting Giuseppe’s since his first visit to Cal Poly in 2019. “After our tour, my parents and I went to Giuseppe’s for dinner since it had good Yelp ratings online, and it really lived up to the reviews. Now, whenever my parents come down for a visit, they always take me there and we always have great food,” Ma said. 

The first-year plant science major has nothing but positive things to say about Giuseppe’s and her experiences there. “It is by far my favorite restaurant in SLO,” Duffy said. “I like to go for lunch since there isn’t as big of a crowd there. If I had to recommend one thing to someone who has never been, I would suggest the Burrata Ravioli.” 
Giuseppe's offers many pasta dishes, with Nonna's Meatballs
being one of the most popular on the menu.
(Photo/Charlotte Lammersen)

Although a kitchen fire temporarily closed the Pismo location in 2016, both the San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach restaurants still stay busy with customers for lunch and dinner. 

“I always enjoy going to Giuseppe’s, but it can be hard to get a table on busy nights like weekends,” Ma said. “But the wait is always worth it.” 

Giuseppe’s is open for lunch daily from 11:30-3:00, and open for dinner from 4:30-9:00 on weeknights, and open until 10:00 on Friday and Saturday.

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