Arrivato founder Andre Melchionda brings gourmet extravagance to your door!
Luxurious delicacies such as caviar and truffles have long been synonymous with special occasions, adding a touch of elegance and indulgence to festive gatherings and memorable events. Growing up with an Italian father, Andre Melchionda developed an appreciation for Italian delicacies from a young age. After college, when the small private equity firm he was working for failed to offer the professional growth he craved, Melchionda delved into his history and interests.
“I was thinking about what I wanted to do, what sort of connections I had and what I was passionate about,” he says. “I was always interested in truffles and finer Italian goods. I speak Italian, have family over there and a pretty solid network, so I knew I could find whatever I wanted fairly easily and get it imported.”
In 2022 Melchionda started Arrivato, a luxury and rare foods distribution company, first from his parents’ house in St. Simons Island. He later moved to Buckhead with a warehouse in West Midtown. Initially, it was wholesale only, but he recently started selling to individuals through the website.
“I started with truffles, then olive oil and balsamic, and slowly added products,” Melchionda says. “It was pretty much blind faith. But we made it; we’re here, and we’re thankful.”
We spoke to him about Arrivato’s offerings and how they fit into celebrations year round.
Who are some of your wholesale clients?
The bulk of our business is restaurants: Umi, Atlas, Kyma, Lazy Betty, Spring and Le Bon Nosh. It’s the majority of Michelin-starred restaurants in town. We have clients in South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida and Virginia. We work with Barnsley Gardens, The Club at High Hampton, Four Seasons Palm Beach and Sea Island Resort.
How can Atlantans buy your products directly?
We launched e-commerce this year. You can get Wagyu, caviar, balsamic, olive oil and truffles online. We wanted to give consumers a little taste of what we’re doing wholesale. You can buy a bottle of olive oil, a kilo of caviar or a 4-ounce filet. There’s no minimum. It’s shipped to your home. We have approximately 30 products online, including a truffle slicer and caviar spoons, compared with a couple hundred wholesale.
How do you ensure you offer the best products?
A lot of it is education and talking to people like chefs and my contacts in Italy, asking, “Where do you get the best balsamic? What makes it the best?” It comes down to flavor and taste. If it smells good, and it tastes good, it’s good. A best-selling product on ecommerce is Sanuki Wagyu, one of the rarest cuts of beef in the world. We have an extra virgin olive oil coming out of Calabria in southern Italy. They make 1,000 bottles of this mono varietal. It’s the rarity of it.
What can people look forward to from Arrivato for the holidays?
We’ll have white (seasonal) truffles. We’ll probably add a couple new items as well. For gifts, you’ll have different package options at different price levels.
What do you do for fun?
I’m a big Italian soccer fan. I watch the Atlanta Braves, Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons. I like to read and work out, hang with friends and go out to dinner.
PHOTO: Erik Meadows
