Daniella Mammola knows hospitality. And it’s something that anyone who sets foot into one of her restaurants can instantly understand about her. “My parents were born in Italy, and hospitality is just in our blood,” she says. “The nurturing of feeding people and having a meal and the meaning of a meal has always been something that we grew up with.” Yet when Mammola and her husband, Dan, opened their first restaurant, Pellana Prime Steakhouse, in Peabody in 2006, she never imagined that nearly 20 years later, she’d be at the helm of an incredibly successful hospitality group, owning more restaurants and even a boutique hotel that bear her name, including a brand-new spot that’s slated to open sometime in or near December.
Hometown Ties
Mammola is co-owner of North Shore Hospitality Group, which operates Daniella’s Ristorante and Pellana Prime Steakhouse, both in Peabody; Daniella’s Café in Danvers; and Daniella’s Suites, a boutique hotel and high-end residence next door to Daniella’s Ristorante. Now, they’re weeks away from opening Daniella’s on Cabot in Beverly, which will occupy the spot where Ellis Square Social used to be. It’ll be a special spot for Mammola for many reasons, including a personal one: Beverly is where she and her husband live with their two young daughters. “We live in Beverly, we raise our family in Beverly, and it has such an amazing vibrant community of people that want to dine out. Not only that, but it’s a great artist community as well,” she said. “We’ve been looking for a restaurant here for a few years.”
Daniella Mammola has built a thriving restaurant business.
When they first opened Pellana Prime Steakhouse, their goal was simple yet important: eschewing trends in favor of consistently serving the highest quality food and drinks and providing customers with an amazing experience. “They’re going to have a great time, they’re going to tell their friends, and we’re going to build the business little by little,” Mammola remembers. “And that’s sort of been the mantra for the building of our business over 20 years.” That’s exactly what they’ve done with each of their restaurants, where the concepts might differ, but the spirit of hospitality doesn’t.
Award-Winning Hospitality
Pellana is a classic American steakhouse with a renowned wine list, featuring more than 450 bottles that’s been continually lauded with Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence. Daniella’s Ristorante, also a Wine Spectator awardee, features classic Italian dishes and creative cocktails in an elegant, relaxed space. Daniella’s Café transports you into Europe’s café culture, with its delicious Italian fare, mosaic marble floors, Tiffany lighting, and nickel-plated espresso machine. As the business has grown and evolved, Mammola has evolved right along with it. For instance, at first, the significance of naming restaurants after herself was a way “to recognize our efforts and to have our family name on our business.” Now it means a lot more. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been through different life experiences. I have two children. Two impressionable girls. It means so much more to put your name on something. It has to be deeper than just the name on the front of a building,” she said.
Daniella Mammola
That depth comes from balancing work and family—for both her and her staff—which became even more important after Mammola was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. She is now in good health, but the lessons of that experience have stuck with her. Recovering from cancer taught her that “life is short” and that there needs to be “levity” and balance in what they do, which is serving food and drinks. They’ve also doubled down on their support for community and charitable giving. “This company and these restaurants require all of our attention, but they would be nothing without the balance of who I am as a person,” she says. “Over the years that evolved for me: really fostering the relationships with our staff, making sure that they have a balance of work and life, so that they can be successful.”
She said that the longevity of their employees’ tenure is “one of the best things that I think our company has.” She’ll apply everything she’s learned to Daniella’s on Cabot, from the focus on food and family, to the welcoming and hospitable atmosphere that North Shore Hospitality Group has cultivated over the years. The menu will feature best-loved dishes from the other two Daniella’s locations, as well as special pre- and post-theater dinners for those who see a show at The Cabot or another of Beverly’s theaters. There will also be a homey “Sunday dinner” menu option. It all adds up to a spot where people can truly gather with their family, friends, and community. “You feel like it’s been cooking on the stove all day. You walk into a room, you can smell it in the air,” she says. “We’re going to make that a really special part of the Beverly experience.”
northshorehospitality.com
Dining and Cooking