Some of Long Island’s most luxurious hotels and restaurants have had the pleasure of employing a professional soccer player. So who is it? Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, or David Beckham? Correct answer: Peter Pizarro.
Aside from his background in hospitality, Pizarro has interesting beginnings. He was born and raised in Argentina, where he learned Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Pizarro was a soccer goalie for the team Independiente de Avellaneda, earning money and fame at 15-years-old. However, an injury in his left hand ended his career at the beginning of 1988.
Now, Pizarro is an expert in hospitality. He has nearly 20 years of experience in serving clients and directing food and beverage services for restaurants and hotels. Additionally, Pizarro has a taste for wine, as he has spent time as a wine director and sommelier for several establishments.
I conducted my interview with Pizarro in Spanish via email. I’ve translated his answers as well as provided his own words in his native language.
Tell me more about your childhood in Argentina. How did your mother and your heritage help teach you about diversity and culture?
Since I was very young, I always liked soccer. As such, I became a professional at 15 years old.
My mother came to the United States in the 1970s. She brought me there when I was 18 years old, so I had never been working before, I only made money playing soccer. I also didn’t speak English, however the fact I could speak Spanish, Italian and Portuguese made it a little easier to learn and master English. It was definitely a culture shock, which I had to overcome, from the grammar structure to the customs.
Fortunately, my family helped me a lot to acclimate me to the adverse circumstances, to learn the American culture, which had given me everything, and now after 30 years I’m as American as my children, who grew up in this culture, but we won’t forget our roots.
Desde muy pequeño siempre me gusto el fútbol, como tal que llegue a ser profesional a la edad de quince años. Mi madre llegó a Estados Unidos en los años setenta, a mi me trajo a vivir acá a la edad de 18 años, por lo cual nunca había trabajado antes solo vivía del fútbol. Por otra parte no hablaba inglés, sin embargo por el hecho de hablar castellano, italiano y portugués, se me hizo un poco más fácil poder aprender y dominar el idioma inglés. Fue definitivamente un shock de culturas, el cual tuve que superar, desde el lado de estructura gramática hasta las costumbres.
Por fortuna mi familia me ayudó mucho para aclimatarme a las circunstancias adversas, aprender la cultura americana, la cual me ha dado todo, y ahora después de treinta años soy más americano al igual que mis hijos, quienes desarrollarán esta cultura, pero no olvidaremos nuestras raíces.
What have you learned in your journey in this industry?
Hospitality is a universal language. Every culture specializes in its traditional food and wines. I have learned to value the industry since it has permitted me to develop as a professional. I have met many people, including celebrities. I have made friendships. I have created my professional reputation in New York, having learned from well-known professionals, such as big chefs and instructors in tasting wines.
La industria de la hospitalidad, es un idioma universal. Cada cultura se especializa en sus comidas y vinos tradicionales. Yo he aprendido a valorar la industria, ya que me ha permitido desarrollarme como profesional, he conocido muchísima gente, celebridades, he hecho amistades, he creado mi reputación profesional en Nueva York, al haber aprendido de grandes profesionales, tales como grandes chefs al igual que maestros en catar vinos.
What inspired the career you pursued?
My inspiration to enter the industry was to have begun my career very early in the best luxury restaurants in Atlantic City. Such was when I was a busperson in the Caesar hotel and casino, I worked in the Italian restaurant, where everything was prepared in front of the client, it was all a show.
Since then, I fell in love with the industry and learned how to cook Italian and French foods, after I later took mixology courses and went to school for hospitality to launch me into the industry as a sommelier and managing many deals for food and drinks for the last 20 years.
Mi inspiración para entrar en la industria, fue el haber comenzado mi carrera muy temprano en los mejores restaurantes de lujo en Atlantic City, tal fue cuando era busperson en el Caesar hotel y casino, trabaje en el restaurante italiano, donde todo de preparaba delante del cliente, todo era un show. Desde ahí me enamoré de la industria, por lo cual fui aprender a cocinar comida italiana, francesa, después hizo cursos de mixología, más tarde fue a una escuela de hotelería para lanzarme como catador de vinos y manejar muchísimos negocios de alimentos y bebidas dura te los últimos 20 años.
What is your favorite part of your job?
There a lot of things I’d consider to be my favorite in this industry. I don’t only get to taste the best wines in the world and try the best cuisine from the chefs who prepare it, I also know the people who make the wine, the owners of the vineyards from around the world. I also get to see and talk to the clients that enjoy our services.
It’s very nice to work with professional teams in our industry. There is a lot of young talent as well as living legends. My objective is to continue offering lovely experiences to our clients every day and to be able to be part of the memories they make while celebrating special occasions with me and my team of professionals.
Hay muchas cosas que son favoritas en esta industria, tal como no solo catar los mejores vinos del mundo y probar la mejor gastronomía junto a los chefs que la preparan, también conocer a las personas que hacen los vinos, los dueños de los viñedos alrededor del mundo. Al igual que ver y conversar con los clientes que disfrutan nuestros servicios.
Por ende, es muy lindo trabajar con equipos de profesionales en nuestra industria, hay mucho talento joven al igual que leyendas vivientes. Mi objetivo es seguir brindando lindas experiencias a nuestros clientes todos los días y poder ser parte de las memorias que ellos construyen al celebrar ocasiones especiales conmigo y mi equipo de profesionales.
What is the hardest part of your job, and how have you overcome it?
Every industry has its challenges and adversities. What’s most important is to understand the industry in which one is knowing to adapt to the daily adversities and to know how to handle the challenges.
We deal with clients, who pay for good service, which should be professional but friendly, and good food and beverages provided with quality preparation using the best ingredients.
Our business is hard, the hours are long, the weekends and holidays we have to be here serving our clients, far from our families, but this is the hospitality business.
Todas las industrias tienen sus retos y adversidades. Lo más importante es entender la industria en la que uno está, de ahí es saber adaptarse a las adversidades cotidianas y saber llevar los retos.
Nosotros lidiamos con clientes, quienes pagan por un buen servicio, el cual debe ser profesional pero amigable, también buena comida y bebidas proveídas con calidad de preparación usando los mejores ingredientes.
Nuestro negocio es arduo, las horas son largas, los fines de semanas y festivos tenemos que estar ahí sirviendo a nuestros clientes, lejos de nuestras familias, pero así es el negocio de hoteleria y restaurantes.
Does the saying or story of the “American dream” mean anything to you?
The American dream is true, not a legend or fantasy. This country has opened doors to millions of immigrants for hundreds of years.
From my point of view, we all arrive in this country without knowing the language, culture, nor future expectations. Every human being is responsible to sacrifice themselves to seize a future and that is where the story of each person with the American dream is born.
El sueño americano es una verdad no una leyenda o fantasía. Este país ha abierto
las puertas a millones de inmigrantes desde cientos de años.
A mi punto de vista, todos llegamos a este país sin saber el idioma, cultura ni
expectativas a futuro. Cada ser humano es responsable de si mismo por sacrificarse
para cesar un futuro y de allí es que nace la historia del sueño americano de cada
persona.
