Perhaps the most intriguing use of places like Venturi, however, is not as venues for teambuilding but for client entertainment. Ms Venturi’s daughter Letizia Tufari, who worked at Pfizer before joining her mother’s business, says client hospitality is a growing income stream for Venturi. She says that for cash-rich, time-poor business people, fine dining has become rather pedestrian. But cooking a three-course meal for oneself is more unusual.
“When a lot of people entertain clients, they just spend a great deal of money,” says Ms Tufari. “But after a while being taken to another expensive restaurant becomes boring. Something like this appears much more thoughtful to clients.”