Five years ago, chef and restaurateur John Wong stood inside an old concrete-ceilinged bank building on Broad Street and envisioned something new for downtown Globe.
During an 18-month trip abroad, Wong had fallen in love with the old-world craft of wood-fired cooking, especially during his time in Spain. That experience sparked the idea for his second Globe restaurant that would return him to the basics: fire, heat, and the distinctive flavors only a wood-fired oven can create.
“I really wanted to reconnect with my love for wood fire,” Wong says. “Using fire, creating those hot spots for the pizza, the result is totally different from gas. It touches my passion and my heart.”
Bravo Americano Moderno opened in 2020, two years after his first Globe restaurant, Bloom. Building it took 18 months, but shaping its identity has taken five years.
Wong doesn’t hesitate when asked what accomplishment he’s most proud of.
“We opened during COVID; we made it through then, and we continue to be successful,” he says.
That success, he notes, is due in part to a tight-knit staff who have stayed with him since day one, as well as a loyal community that embraced Bravo from the start. It’s also due to Wong’s insistence on hospitality above all.
“My goal was always top-notch service first,” he says. “If a customer has a bad meal but great service, they will come back. Bad service with great food? They won’t. We want people to feel welcome.”
While the restaurant’s core atmosphere hasn’t changed much, Wong has refined the menu and operations over time, improving efficiency, rotating dishes, and keeping standards high with weekly deep cleans and constant attention to detail.
This past year’s flooding in Globe brought one of Bravo’s most unexpected challenges. The impact was felt immediately in the local economy.
“We had fewer customers, and we were down a bit,” Wong explains. But even amid the chaos, Bravo did what it does best: serve.
“We were open and helping people get to their cars, offering a place to stay, giving out hot tea, even while we were flooding,” he recalls. “It was nice to see the love and care that people have for others here in Globe.”
The flooding also derailed his plans to open a third business, a high-end, reservation-only steakhouse, which suffered heavy damage. Still, he remains undeterred, although an opening date is undetermined.
One of the most meaningful experiences of the past five years has been Bravo’s relationship with Globe High School’s culinary program. What started as a simple invitation for students to visit the restaurant has grown into a hands-on learning partnership.
“We’ve been teaching the culinary kids about pizza, wood fire, and sushi,” Wong says. “Their excitement is amazing. Seeing them roll sushi for the first time…I loved it. It’s nice to help the younger generation and give them those experiences.”
Certain dishes have become staples at Bravo and reflect Wong’s passion for quality and technique. Wood-fired pizza remains the centerpiece, but other favorites include the KOBE Burger, Tuna Tartare, Tuna Salad, and an old-fashioned Fish and Chips made with fresh, hand-battered fish.
“There weren’t many fish dishes in Globe before,” he says. “You can taste the difference. People say, ‘I’ve never had fish and chips like this before.’ You can taste the passion in our cooking.”
For Wong, small moments with customers often stand out the most. He recalls a woman in her 80s who visited with friends after their exercise class.
“It was her birthday,” he says. “She said, ‘Before I die, I’m going to eat sushi, and today’s the day.’ She tried it for the first time, and just seeing that melted my heart.”
With Bravo and Bloom established as anchors downtown, Wong has watched a wave of new shops and visitors coming into the area.
“These restaurants have brought people downtown,” he says. “We have out-of-town visitors all the time. Parking is a problem, but it’s a good problem to have.”
Despite setbacks from the flood, he’s moving forward with plans for his third restaurant and is encouraged by other new businesses emerging in Globe’s historic center.
“Globe is definitely growing,” Wong says. “It’s nice to see our town evolve.”
As Bravo celebrates its fifth anniversary, Wong returns to the values that started it all: great hospitality, great food, a passion for fire-driven cooking, and a community that continues to fuel his creativity.
“We have a strong community that loves us,” he says. “And we love them right back.”
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