In 1991 Grazie sent its’ first employee group to Italy. 13 years and 220 plane tickets later the bi-annual Italy trips have come to define food, wine & service at the locally owned eateries.

Staffers who may have never left their own country (or state!) come back energized from soaking up the Italian food, wine & culture. In an industry plagued with high employee turnover Grazie enjoys long-term managers, cooks & servers many of whom have been on the company-sponsored trips several times.

The focus is education. Wine tours are set up with the owner-operated wineries followed by a homemade meal at their Villa or Castles. The Italians are touched by the employee’s effort to learn about their local products.

Friendships are forged and the connections are deep. After the past 3 Grazie trips, Italian friends have come back to Seattle to stay with employees and work in the restaurants.

So if your knowledgeable server has an enthusiastic gleam in their eye, a plane ticket may have accompanied the employee manual!