Settepani Restaurant & Bakery

In Italian, the word "settepani" translates directly to “seven breads,” making it no surprise that Settepani Bakery founder Chef Nino Settepani discovered his passion for baking at a young age. The Settepani brand was founded in 1992 with the opening of Brooklyn's Settepani Bakery. Chef Settepani purchased his first bakery in Manhattan in Greenwich Village while still a student at NYU. After graduating, he perfected his craft at the French Culinary Institute. Settepani has become more than just a restaurant or bakery; it’s a community gathering place where people come together to enjoy traditional Italian breads, fresh pastas, pastries, cannoli, cakes, cookies, and more made with all-natural, organic ingredients.

What was already a family business, with Chef Nino’s mother being a staple of the bakery’s front counter, grew even more when Chef Nino met his wife, Leah Abraham. Leah, an Ethiopian-Eritrean immigrant, desired to expand the Settepani brand to more than just a bakery, opening Harlem staple Settepani Restaurant in 2000. Their children, Bilena and Seyoum, have joined the family business. Chef Bilena, a recent graduate of I.C.E. culinary school, has added a contemporary element to the Settepani brand, including the creation of its famed Nutella panettone.

The Settepani brand is ever evolving, with a family business that dates back to before Chef Nino’s family moved from Sicily. While its methods are rooted in tradition, its ideas are kept modern by its generational passion, and kept cultured by its emphasis on flavors from around the world.