Owning a restaurant goes beyond reading recipes or being fancy with the spices. New local restaurants find that having success in the food service world takes creativity, originality and two heaping cupful of passion and hard work.

GLORIA'S LITTLE ITALY

Walking into Gloria's Little Italy is like walking off the cobblestone streets of Florence into a true Italian bakery, deli and restaurant. The name says it all as Gloria's Little Italy is a treasure trove of Italian delicacies from imported cheeses and meats to the Italian gelato and pastas.

Owners Gloria and Mauro Bonfanti were both raised in Italy, and it was there that Gloria Bonfanti first cultivated her love of Italian food.

"When I was a little girl, my grandfather had a restaurant on the coast of Italy," Gloria Bonfanti said. "My father and his 12 brother's and sisters worked there."

Between her grandfather's restaurant and her father's cooking, Bonfanti carefully learned the ins and outs of Italian cuisine, which is evident in her cooking.

A successful restaurant owner realizes that it's not just about selling food, she said.

"You should do food because you love to," she said.

Great restaurants not only provide tasty cuisine but a comfortable atmosphere. Decorating the yellow walls of Gloria's Little Italy hang many black and white photos.

"Each is a photo of my family," Bonfanti said, pointing to one of the photos along the wall. "Family is number one to me."

SAMMY'S

"Most requested is our Real Pie Shake, where we put a piece of pie inside the shake," Sam Scultz said when describing his delectable pie and ice-cream combination. "Why do they call it a banana cream pie shake when there's no pie? If you're going to do a pie shake do a pie shake."

It is this type of creative thinking that 26-year-old Schultz used in many aspects of Sammy's, a new all-American burger joint, where burgers wear more than pickles and onions.

Here you can find specialty burgers with guacamole, pico de gallo, fresh avocado, Schultz said.

Good business is centered on good customer service. Thursday through Saturday, Sammy's is open until 2 a.m., making it a perfect place for students needing somewhere to hang. Here friends can chill and enjoy a shake. It's all about the cool factor, Schultz said.

"I want people to have ownership of Sammy's," he said. "People come here, and we just happen to have food."

Friday nights will include Sammy Sounds, an innovative opportunity for local artists to share their acoustic music for Friday-night customers.

PIZZERIA SEVEN TWELVE

Don't be fooled by the name. With the oven kept at 712 degrees, Pizzeria Seven Twelve is much more than pepperoni and cheese. In this independently owned and chef-run restaurant, partners Joseph McRae and Colton Soelberg are no strangers when it comes to cuisine and originality.

Pizzeria Seven Twelve opened in November 2007 and has received great reviews ever since, McRae said.

"I think the most important thing about owning a restaurant is to really do what you love and be passionate about it," he said. "There's no shortcut to success. You have to love what you do and put your heart into it, and then you'll do well."

Mozzarella and ricotta cheese, fennel sausage, sauces and dough are all made at the store, he said.

"Here it's all about the food, and we make everything ourselves," McRae said. "We buy from local farmers and try to use the freshest produce we can get."

"We've worked hard to maintain the quality we've committed to" Soelberg said.

"In this restaurant we wanted to provide a high-end food experience with a comfortable warm environment," McRae said.

That environment is cultivated with hand-carved wooden benches, large oil on canvas paintings and individually hand-crafted vases holding fresh flowers at each table.

"We're a part of the slow-food movement; it's not about fast food," McRae said. "When you come, it's for the experience."

Pizzeria Seven Twelve-320 S. State St. #185, Orem

Gloria's Little Italy-279 E. 300 South, Provo

Sammy's-27 N. 100 West, Provo