KRISTEN & STEVE SMITH
F ST SOCIAL {1002 Main St, Belmar; 732-934-2378; fstsocial.com}

Kristen and Steve opened F St. Social in 2022. Kristen had previously been waitressing and bartending in restaurants. Steve had previously owned a restaurant up in the Highlands. This time they wanted to build and create a place together. Their business mission: “We want the atmosphere here to feel inviting, cozy, and, as our name states, “social”… a neighborhood restaurant where everyone is welcome and comes to have a lovely time and relax. 

How do you keep the creative spark alive in your restaurant and relationship? 
We are always trying to come up with new ideas and ways to grow our restaurant. We bounce ideas off each other all the time. We are quite the foodies, so part of this is achieved by going out to eat a lot—which we consider “field research.” 

What do you love most about working together? 
When we’re both working and see the restaurant hustling and bustling—people enjoying their food, smiling and laughing—together, having a great time…music in the background, and just the positive vibes flowing, we look at each other and smile. We’re both like, “Wow, this is pretty cool.”  

What is your advice to couples thinking about going into business together?
You can’t be afraid to work hard and be patient with figuring it all out. Some things take time to get into a perfect flow. Don’t give up. Find a great staff. And as much as you put your all into your business, don’t forget to focus on yourselves, too! And always make time for each other and encourage each other. Go on dates. Brainstorm together. Talk things through. We always say that “Teamwork makes the dream work.”  

ROSALIA & MICHAEL PANTINA
LIMONCELLO AT PIAZZA DI ROMA {1178 Route 34, Aberdeen; 732-583-3565; piazzadiroma.com}

“Life gave us lemons during the pandemic, and we made Limoncello,” say Rosalia and Michael. Faced with the challenges of the COVID-19 shutdown, they decided to turn the situation
into an opportunity. Their banquet hall, Piazza Di Roma, featured an outdoor ceremonial formal garden for weddings, so they turned it into a beautiful backyard Italian restaurant garden. Michael grew vegetables organically, and Rosalia, a great chef, created the menu with recipes from their mothers and grandparents. And that’s how Limoncello Restaurant was born.

Is there a signature dish that represents both of you?
It really is just the authentic Sicilian Italian food. It’s not so much a dish but the way the dishes are prepared. We both have Sicilian backgrounds. So, what we did is we brought the Sicilian element to our menu and brought some traditional Sicilian dishes that people haven’t seen since Nonna made them.

How do you keep the creative spark alive?
We have a passion for Italy and the Italian culture. We love Italy, so we get most of our inspiration from traveling there and experiencing the food, scenery, people, and way of life.

What do you love most about working together?
The laughing and joking around. We keep things light. We love what we do. And when
we go home, it is like our cocoon, and we can deal with business tomorrow.

What is your advice to couples thinking about going into business together?
Be open-minded to the other’s ideas—and really listen to each other. You both have to have the same passion: Don’t go into something together unless you both absolutely love what you are about to do.

AMRITA JOGI & MANISH KUMAR
SAFFRON RED BANK
{31 West Front St, Red Bank; 732-230-6700; saffronredbank.com}}

Both Amrita and Manish had successful careers in the fashion industry in NYC. About five years ago, they decided to bring an elevated Indian restaurant focused on holistic comfort food to the area. After successfully opening a restaurant in Milwaukee with Manish’s brother, the couple decided to open Saffron Red Bank in 2023. “The passion was there, the people were there, and we loved exploring food…We are here to build relationships and have generations come and have their meals with us.”

Is there a signature dish that represents both of you?
A: The menu is a good mix of Manish and me because he is more traditional, and I’m more like American and modern.  
M: The representation is the cuisine. She’s bringing the western side, and I’m bringing the regional side. So, the entire menu represents us. On the menu are some of our favorites explored with her Western style and my traditional style, and our genius chef puts it together.

What is your advice to couples thinking about going into business together?
M: If you have a passion for it, go for it! Don’t hold back by saying “I may not be able to do it;” do it either way; even if you fail, you’ve done what you wanted. You don’t want to have regrets. 
A: It’s not for the faint of heart. Working with your spouse is challenging because you have more emotions; it’s not just somebody you work with; it’s your husband, so sometimes you will have a bad day and can’t go your separate ways because you’re going home in the same car. So, buckle down. It will be a crazy ride with some ups and downs—but you just need to stick together and remember that you have one shared goal. 

NANCY AND SAL FAENZA
THE SKILLET BY SAL
{300 Mounts Corner Dr, Freehold; 732-308-3350; theskilletnj.com}

After successfully running the Tuscany Italian Specialty stores for 23 years, Sal took a bold step in 2022 by opening The Skillet by Sal. He partnered with his wife, Nancy, to embark on this exciting venture. Combining Nancy’s keen eye for style with Sal’s extensive experience in the food industry, they worked together to turn their dream into a thriving reality.

Is there any element or dish that represents you?
The Lemon Orange Ricotta Pancakes topped with mascarpone cream, orange zest, toasted coconut shavings, and honey. The recipe is a family recipe, and we make the ricotta fresh. The eggs are fresh from Greens Egg Farms, a local farm in Farmingdale, and the honey is local.

What do you love most about working together?
N: When we are busy and successful—that is something that we did together. Seeing the business successful is a really nice feeling that we finally could do something together because he had a partner for so long and I was never part of it.S: She was never involved with my other business, so now I’m happy that she’s there to experience it. I like hearing her opinion because she has a different insight than I do on things. It makes me feel so good that she’s here with me, even though I know we’re busy doing other things. Sometimes we try to talk—and it’s busy—but we try. I’m happy that we’re doing this together. 

What is your advice to couples thinking about going into business together?
Define your roles during the setup of the business—who is taking care of what, and then collaborate together. It’s important to communicate with each other, and keep each other updated. Try to get each other’s opinions on things before making decisions. At times, it can be strenuous. We also try to avoid talking business when we get home.