Massimo Zitti – Mother

My youth and beginnings in the bar scene

You can imagine my childhood like from a classic Italian movie: A little boy growing up in the middle of Rome, getting a guitar with 13 years that he became obsessed with and helping out his mother who owned a fish stand on the market. After two summers, I got fired by her and I started in a classic bar on the Via Serpenti. There, with the age of 14, I learned a lot for the future: working full time, earning 25€ for making 250 Capuchini a day, being disciplined, showing up on time… these are the moments in life that make you strong and gift you with an important social and professional basis.

“During competitions you become the best possible version of yourself“

Massimo Zitti

When I turned 15, my boss put me to work with Aperitivo, which of course was barely legal. But like this I got to know about Martini Rosso, Campari, Apérol Spritz… and although there was not much art in these drinks, I pretty much quickly learned about the most important ingredient: Making my guests feel special, paying attention to them and value them. This is when I learned the concept of hospitality – just as I love and live it today. The real literal art about crafting cocktails came later.

At the age of 17 my life took a twist. We had a regular in the bar who was from England – a country I was super fascinated by because I loved listening to Beatles songs and playing them on my guitar – but admittedly, I didn’t understand a word they sung. So I told that man that I wanted to go to England to learn the language and gain more working experience. The guy left for a few weeks and when he came back, I told him again and again, how much I wanted to go. So when he came back later that year, he told me that he had sorted everything out and that the North was waiting for me to leave on 26 November (the important dates in life I always remember). Of course, my mother didn’t want me to leave, which is why I bought the ticket from my own hard-earned money and left to Wales.

Saving, working & having a plan

Living on my own the first time in my life, I started to acknowledge the importance of economics and the first thing I’ve learned for sure was that there was such a thing called rent. This knowledge made me appreciate having a job and I was very strict with my money. I just ate once a day in order to save the money I earned. My first job was in a kitchen in a four star hotel in a one street village with 250 inhabitants. I didn’t understand the rules, laws and the country in general – but I’ve also learned the importance of friendship. So when I became close friends with the head bar chef of the hotel, he told me to join him to move to London. Therefore, from Friday to Sunday, we left for the English capital in order to create a network and get connections in its gastronomic scene.

Eventually we moved there. Always knowing that I need to pay my rent and needed a capital to build something bigger, I quickly realized that the service personnel was making more money than the bartenders. This is why I went to an English Language School, eager to get a job in service. That plan worked out and with 19 I got promoted by the General Manager to Floor Supervisor. This perspective changed it all and soon after that, I moved to Manchester with the GM and he made me the supervisor of a club called “Tiger Tiger” where I became responsible for 45 people.

How I knew that I wanted to become a bartender

A friend of my girlfriend back in Wales was awarded as the “Best bartender in the UK” and he knew the bar scene. So before I even moved to London, I got to know the best bars in Sheffield and London. Having visited these bars I knew that I wanted to become a bartender. But not just any: the best in the world.

Years later, when I eventually got a job at one of these bars, I started to discover my passion for competitions. Being a competitive person, I like most that competing changes kind of your mind. You become the best possible version of yourself. I don’t love competitions for competing but for focusing on what you can.

This time in Manchester was fantastic. But one day I decided to broaden my gastronomic horizon and moved to Barcelona and then to Paris, always working like a dog in order to turn bars into machines. During my time in France I became a father which for the first time in my life let me feel, that something was bigger than me.

After detours to Italy and to Sri Lanka, where I was working a bar consultant, I eventually moved back to Manchester, where I opened eight bars within four years, became a brand ambassador and a trainer. This meant constant travel, networking, competing and brought me to the World Class Top 4 and Top 5. So my motto in these years was: Innovating – creating – innovating – creating. (Fast forward – in 2022 I made it and captured the “World Class Bartender of Year” title.)

Next chapter: Toronto

During this time, my wife went to Toronto for a photo shooting. She actually was “only” the replacement for a friend who got that job and could not go – but this should change our lives again. When she returned to England, she wanted to move to Toronto. At first I wasn’t a big fan of this idea, because I was just getting very close with all the guys from Nightjar, Gibson and so on but eventually I gave in and we left for Canada for two weeks for vacation. I liked it there – but admittedly, I didn’t really love it. Nonetheless my wife arranged everything, and we moved to Toronto in September 2018. The rest is history.

Mother Bar

Having arrived in Toronto, I found a job at the bar in a fine dining restaurant. While working there, I was creating new bar concepts during the night. I then changed jobs and became a bar manager in another bar and quickly realized: In order to have good bar in town, I need to open my own. So after six days I left and started my own business which is where I am until this day: “Mother Bar”.

The concept of my place is based on fermentation. I really got interested in this kind of science some time ago and fermented everything that fell into my hands. With the time I developed recipes and things exploded. The desire behind it: I wanted to try something that no one tried before (always glancing to the guys at Noma of course, their book became my bible). And – being a business man through and through – experimenting with fermentation doesn’t cost a lot.

The name

I wanted to create a name that reflected my bar concept and we quickly came up with “Mother” – since for example the mother dough is the base of the delicious outcomes we serve. My wife, who’s a creative, created the logo and then – how could it be more suitable – we opened on 19 May 2019 – the Canadian Mother’s day.

Toronto Recommendations

The Future

The culinary scene in Toronto is growing and finally a real cocktail scene starts to become a reality here. I think this is also thanks to “Mother” – which kind of leads the way into a more creative direction. In my opinion, the concept of humble hospitality becomes more and more important. Rather than pretentiousness, humbleness is a value that is understood.

Profile

Born: 1985

Special skill: Perseverance

The superpower I wish I could have: Having a brighter image of my past, to be precise: of the first 15 years of my life.

Free time: songwriting, playing the guitar, Jiu Jitsu

Bartender since: 1999

Biggest fail: Actually, I don’t believe in failure.

Most significant career step: The one “awakening” week full of inspiration in which I visited “Social Rehab” and “Road House” – from there on I knew that I wanted to become a bar tender

Favourite cocktail: Manhattan. Why? I cannot really say.

Favourite bar: “Handshake” in Mexico

Toronto in three words: diverse, young & kind

Mother Website

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Images: ©Mother