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“I want to build something that can do and be many things to many people,” said Jeff Gigante, Founder of Next Level Brands Hospitality. “Create a draw, a magnetism for great leaders to come into and for them to give their input and their experience and their ambition and to help make it bigger, and so that’s what we formed.”
A hospitality company focused on offering exceptional dining experiences, Next Level Brands is behind popular restaurants Forbici Modern Italian, Boulon Brasserie and Bakery, and Union New American. Formed in 2019, Next Level Brands is a culmination of its founder’s life’s work and hopes for the future.
Starting in the restaurant business at only 12 years of age, Gigante was a busboy at a dinner theater where his mom worked as a show producer. “I just loved the whole experience,” he recalled. “The night starts, people are enjoying themselves, you’re helping,” he said. “And then leaving with actual money in your pocket, I loved that whole thing.”
Gigante continued working at restaurants for several years, opening up his first restaurant in his senior year of college at Florida State University with a close friend. Putting their last names together, Gigante and Adamos, the two opened Gigamo Brothers Pizza and Pasta to great fanfare. “Of course, we had no idea what we were doing, so the business didn’t last,” Gigante laughed.
Following dreams of becoming an actor, Gigante moved to New York City where he continued to work in hospitality to supplement his income. Years later, Gigante recognized the untapped potential of the Tampa Bay area, deeming it the ideal market for launching new restaurants. Returning to Tampa, he co-founded the Ciccio Restaurant Group in the 1990s. The company behind restaurant concepts like Taco Dirty, Green Lemon, Fresh Kitchen, Daily Eats, Sweet Soul and more, Ciccio Restaurant group has enjoyed massive success in the area, offering both eat-in dining options and fast casual grab and go concepts suitable for busy professionals.
However, in 2018, Jeff Gigante decided to follow his true passion and focus on experiential dining concepts. This led to his departure from Ciccio Group and marked the beginning of the formation of Next Level Brands.
“When it’s not just about money anymore and you’re doing it to live a fulfilled, purposeful life, you’ve got to make some hard choices,” Gigante said. “My hard choice was to leave that group, sell my interests back to the family that started it with me, and head out on my own.”
Together with friend and business partner Joe Guggino, Gigante set out to do what he was most passionate about, concept creation. His enthusiasm was contagious. Business partner Guggino was smitten too.
“Joe came over with me and was going to be just an investor, but he’s a wine connoisseur and passionate about wine,” Gigante said. He noticed that when he asked Guggino to build their new restaurant’s wine list, his eyes “lit up like a June big. He was so excited. I saw the detail with which he built that list and the care and concern and passion and questions and the leg work and the due diligence he did.” Two weeks into the opening of their first restaurant together, Guggino had “been there every shift, all night long working shoulder to shoulder with me,” Gigante said. More than an investor, Guggino became a partner bringing Gigante’s vision to life.
Opened in 2019, Forbici Modern Italian in Hyde Park was steeped in Gigante’s passion for large, lively restaurants. “Forbici was my first outpost of my own concept, Italian, family centered, convivial, live music, big experiential dining,” Gigante said.
Overseeing only one restaurant instead of 25 was a big change, but it didn’t take long for Gigante to know that he had made the right decision.
“Four months into the opening I knew that I had a hit on my hands,” Gigante said. “All of the passion and inspiration from my young life when I was first starting came back.”
Forbici became the inspiration to take the business to the next level, pun intended. Partnering with Franklin Street founder Andrew Wright, they created Next Level Brands Hospitality. To date, NLB has opened three concept restaurants: Forbici Modern Italian, Union New American, which specializes in American cuisine with global influences, and Boulon Brasserie and Bakery, which specialized in French cuisine. All three concepts are known for their inviting gathering spaces, innovative cuisine, and first-class service.
With the mission of elevating the culinary landscape of Tampa Bay, Gigante has big plans for the expansion of his Forbici concept. Currently building a Forbici location in Downtown St. Petersburg, he believes that Forbici is the growth vehicle for Next Level Brands.
Not exclusive to its customers, NLB delivers wonderful experiences to its employees as well. When asked about the most rewarding part of his job, Gigante responded, “the people. Being able to attract and grow the best and the brightest in my industry.”
A member of the Chamber since 2024, Gigante has always emphasized the importance of relationships. Membership with the Chamber has facilitated this both on a personal and community level. “My entire life has been built out of relationships,” Gigante said. “That’s the beauty of the Chamber. You come together and make each other stronger.”