Running Scalzotto Italian Restaurant, a trio of Italian restaurants in three different Front Range zip codes, might seem like a tough gig to pull off for a family with three kids younger than age 21. Combine that with scratch-made sauces just like real Italian mammas still make and hand-crafted pasta served in charmed small-town surroundings — all graced with a sprinkle of dramatic sparkle — and you might wonder how their three locations can operate so smoothly.

To outsiders, Tonia and Giancarlo Scalzotto make it look easy, but if you pull back the curtain and get to know this powerhouse couple’s combined skillset, it makes sense. Neither of the Scalzottos started their careers in the food industry, but they have built their budding restaurant empire on a solid understanding of how business works.