Nick crocheted while taking the train through Europe. Elena hurt her knee in Brazil. Because of those two events, there’s a new café overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee. Gusto Italian Café opened just after Christmas, and the weeks since have been a whirlwind for Nick and Elena Gagliardi. Their breakfast-and-lunch restaurant has been more popular than they could have hoped, proving to them that their decision to gamble on the open storefront was a good one.

Nick is a Gilford boy. He graduated from GHS in 2011, then studied business administration at Plymouth State University. After college, he and some of his friends decided to take a year to travel around Europe. They were taking the train to Rome, where they were hoping to find a hostel, when Nick decided to pull out his yarn and crochet hook.