Call it destiny or call it fate, but either way, Naples got lucky when Bob Emfield (the eventual founder of Tommy Bahama) invited Richard D’Amico to visit him throughout the ’80s in Southwest Florida. In 1982, the now-74-year-old Richard had started D’Amico & Partners, a restaurant group that came to dominate Minnesota’s Twin Cities and became synonymous with good taste. “I always thought back then, well, there aren’t enough people in Naples to open a restaurant,” Richard says with a laugh.
Early on, he brought in his brother Larry and friend Paul Smith as partners, and they styled their corporate culture as a famiglia, treating employees as part of their extended clan. After launching more than seven concepts in the Minneapolis area, they decided the time was right to bring their brand of hospitality to Naples, opening Campiello in 1998. That move forever changed the trajectory of Southwest Florida’s culinary landscape, D’Amico & Partners, and Richard’s life (he made his home here and met the love of his life, his wife Amy). “It was personal for the three of us. It was the biggest thing we ever did. We put all of our experience, knowledge, money and creativity into it, and we still do,” Richard says.
The 295-seat restaurant occupies prime real estate on the picturesque Third Street South and continues to draw elbow-to-elbow crowds 25 years later. In 2020, they added The Club Room, a unique entity off an adjacent courtyard with a separate menu and lounge acts. The Continental, a haute steakhouse, debuted a block away in 2015 and remains one of Naples’ most gorgeous restaurants. Ziggy D’Amico’s Whiskey Bar & Diner is their neighborhood spot in North Naples, and at one point or another, the company has owned places on Fifth (Café & Bar Lurcat) and Mercato (Masa).
Richard is especially proud of his team and how some—such as The Continental’s executive chef Andrew Wicklander—have been with them for decades. “I know how good our places are without being a snob,” Richard says, reflecting on his two Third Street restaurants’ inclusion in The Daily Meal’s and OpenTable’s annual top 100 lists. “What’s also really rewarding is seeing people that have worked for you open their own successful places. That tells you you’re doing something right.” The esteemed bunch includes Barry Larkin (Seventh South), Jeff Mitch ell (The Local) and Vincenzo Betulia (Campagna Hospitality Group).
Richard’s influence has touched myriad other aspects of Naples life. He was key in developing the Garden of Hope and Courage, an almost 3-acre oasis on NCH Healthcare System’s downtown campus. He and Amy have pursued passion projects with the restaurants, such as creating Humane Society Naples’ Bow Wow Brunch and partnering with the Naples Winter Wine Festival to host the VIP kickoff for one of the world’s premier epicurean events. The company has also generously given back to the community, hosting free suppers in the wake of Hurricane Irma and feeding first responders during the pandemic.
There is an indelible D’Amico footprint on our shores, and Richard is grateful: “It’s become a pretty great food town compared to other cities our size … It feels good to see that change—I’m excited for what’s to come.” —Dorothea Hunter Sönne