- Title: Tariffs are 'kind of stupid', high-end Manhattan restaurant owner says
- Date: 18th October 2019
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 18, 2019) (REUTERS) IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT, CO-OWNER, GIANFRANCO SORRENTINO, TALKING TO KITCHEN STAFF SORRENTINO SHOWING CHEESE STASH IN BASEMENT SORRENTINO CUTTING CHEESE (SOUNDBITE) (English) IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT, THE LEOPARD AT DES ARTISTES RESTAURANT, MOZZARELLA & VINO RESTAURANT, MANAGING PARTNER, GIANFRANCO SORRENTINO, SAYING: "This is gonna affect our business. We already talked with an importer of Parmigiano, Grana, Provolone, and that there's going to be an increase of about 25% on the price. So, if it was $10 a pound, now it's gonna be $12.50 or even more, according to what they said. I am worried just because our clientele probably won't be affected by the little increases in the menu, because we have to increase the dishes that we use these ingredients, but not so people that they cannot increase the price, they're going to start to use a product, which is not really authentic, not so, let's say, genuine, delicious, but also safe and healthy like our products." VARIOUS OF GUESTS EATING AT IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT (SOUNDBITE) (English) IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT, THE LEOPARD AT DES ARTISTES RESTAURANT, MOZZARELLA & VINO RESTAURANT, MANAGING PARTNER, GIANFRANCO SORRENTINO, SAYING: "These tariffs, you know, they're kind of stupid. Let me say in a nice way, because they have nothing to do with food. It's because of Airbus and Boeing, tariffs themselves. So, I think that the authorities, that the politicians, they should be adult, sit down, and then, in a very civilized way, they should figure out the best way for both of them. We have so many importers and distributors of Italian cheeses that they're going to risk to go out of business because of that." SORRENTINO CUTTING CHEESE SORRENTINO TALKING TO KITCHEN WORKER KITCHEN WORKER PLACING CONTAINER OF CHEESE ON TABLE SORRENTINO PICKING UP A PLASTIC BAG OF PARMIGIANO REGGIANO (SOUNDBITE) (English) IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT, THE LEOPARD AT DES ARTISTES RESTAURANT, MOZZARELLA & VINO RESTAURANT, MANAGING PARTNER, GIANFRANCO SORRENTINO, SAYING: "What we did also, is we filled up our basement with these products, you know, we bought a lot of them, probably 30 forms, wheels of Parmigiano, Grana, and we keep it in our basement. So, probably, we can save a little money." VARIOUS OF STORED CHEESES SORRENTINO CUTTING CHEESE WORKER PUTTING GRATED CHEESE INTO PLASTIC BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT, THE LEOPARD AT DES ARTISTES RESTAURANT, MOZZARELLA & VINO RESTAURANT, MANAGING PARTNER, GIANFRANCO SORRENTINO, SAYING: "Yes, I am worried. And, you know, we have three different kinds of restaurants. The two, let's say, out of kind of high-end. The one is more casual. The high-end probably will suffer less because people there today spend let's say $100 per person, probably they won't mind that to spend $120 per person. But, you know, we're thinking about the middle class, you know, if they have to spend $60 or $50 and then spend $70, well you feel it in your pocket, anyway. So, we are worried about that, you know." VARIOUS OF ITALIAN LIQUORS AT IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT (SOUNDBITE) (English) IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT, THE LEOPARD AT DES ARTISTES RESTAURANT, MOZZARELLA & VINO RESTAURANT, MANAGING PARTNER, GIANFRANCO SORRENTINO, SAYING: "This is a free market. You know, the beauty of this country is that the best product, that the best thing goes ahead. So, you know, produce better, you're going to sell better, you know? Forget about the tariff, you know." VARIOUS OF KITCHEN STAFF WORKING IL GATTOPARDO RESTAURANT EXTERIORS
- Embargoed: 1st November 2019 19:47
- Keywords: tariffs duties trade Italy Mozzarella & Vino Gianfranco Sorrentino Il Gattopardo Europen Union restaurant cheese Italian products The Leopard at des Artistes
- Location: NE WORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NE WORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics,International Trade
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1MLJM5
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The United States began slapping tariffs on EU imports worth an annual $7.5 billion on Friday (October 18), such as British whisky, French wine, Spanish olives and cheese from across the bloc, including Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano.
"These tariffs, you know, they're kind of stupid," said Gianfranco Sorrentino, managing partner of three Italian restaurants in Manhattan - Il Gattopardo, The Leopard at Des Artistes, and Mozzarella & Vino.
"They have nothing to do with food. It's because of Airbus and Boeing."
The World Trade Organization has found that both, Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing, received billions of dollars of illegal subsidies in a pair of cases that have run for 15 years. After an award from a WTO adjudicator, the United States put in place tariffs on Friday, focused on the Airbus-producing countries Britain, France, Germany and Spain.
"The politicians, they should be adult, sit down, and, then, in a very civilized way, they should figure out the best way for both of them," Sorrentino said at Il Gattopardo, one of the restaurants he co-owns with his wife and a third partner, who is also a chef.
"We have so many importers and distributors of Italian cheeses that they're gonna risk to go out of business because of that."
Sorrentino employs 52 people just at Il Gattopardo. He says, because of tariffs he might have to rethink that number.
"This is a free market," he said. "You know, the beauty of this country is that the best product, that the best thing goes ahead. So, you know, produce better, you're going to sell better, you know? Forget about the tariff."
Spirits, wines, dairy produce and olive oil account for 92% of the total exposed exports, all hit with tariffs of 25%.
Many exporters sent larger volumes of their goods to the United States than normal ahead of Friday's imposition of tariffs.
(Production: Andrew Hofstetter, Aleksandra Michalska) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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