- November 22, 2024
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Dario Carbone and Alexia Tarantino always dreamt of opening a second restaurant ever since they opened Focaccia Italian Eatery in Palm Coast six years ago.
The couple loved the Flagler Beach area: The ocean scenery was beautiful, there were no franchises and the town had a comfortable vibe to it.
“Focaccia was our starting point,” Tarantino said. “We kind of got to test the waters out.”
At first, it was just them two working at the restaurant, with Carbone in the kitchen and Tarantino at the front. However, their restaurant grew and July 19, they opened Faro Beachside Eatery, located at 311 N. Ocean Shore Blvd. in Flagler Beach.
It’s a “modern, fast-casual” Italian restaurant that specializes in small plate dishes, pizza, and meat and cheese boards. Carbone and Tarantino, who were both born and raised in Rome until moving to Flagler County in May 2013, put a huge emphasis on fresh ingredients.
Everything is made from scratch and prepared in-house every day.
“We wanted to bring something new here,” Carbone said, “something different.”
With the opening of Faro, Carbone and Tarantino said they’re a little more hands-off with Focaccia, but they’re still at their original restaurant every day.
Their workday begins at about 8 a.m. and ends usually at midnight.
“We serve only food that we grew up eating, so we have that passion for it,” Tarantino said. “We spend a lot of time at work, so you have to be very passionate about what you do because you spend your life here. I think if you’re passionate about what you do, it comes easy.”