A Story of Female Entrepreneurship #finsubito prestito immediato

Interview with Valentina Salvatore, a young entrepreneur from Fiumicino who bet on her cocktail idea

Today, we share the story of Valentina Salvatore, a young entrepreneur from Fiumicino who has been running Terminal, a small cocktail bar focused on quality and creativity, for almost two years. After over ten years of experience, Valentina felt the need to create something personal where she could freely express her vision of mixology. Thus, Terminal was born—a cozy spot where she has built a trusting relationship with a clientele eager to try something different.

Valentina herself tells us about her Terminal: “I would describe my place as a cocktail bar, and its menu as a sort of passport that allows you to travel the world through cocktails and tapas. It’s a niche where you can find various offerings from different countries. My passion is mixology; I offer unique drinks with homemade syrups and foams, for example. I pair everything with tapas daily and serve brunch on Sundays. Plus, every Tuesday we have live music. My customers often say my place is a bit of a ‘one woman show’ because I handle everything from A to Z.”

“I’ve been doing this work for about twelve years, and I’ve always prepared drinks. I’ve worked in many places along the Roman coastline, between Ostia and Fiumicino, but I felt I couldn’t truly express what I wanted. I’ve always enjoyed researching, studying, and using unique ingredients, but this is complicated when you’re an employee or have many tables to manage. My dream was to create a small establishment that would give me the time to prepare high-quality drinks. So, at the threshold of thirty, I decided to open Terminal, and it was a significant achievement. I admit it’s tough, but it brings me satisfaction because it has shown me that what I had in mind weren’t just crazy ideas, but something achievable.”

“One of my strengths is the selection of gin; I have about fifty labels that I change quite often, and most of my customers come specifically for that. I wanted a clientele that didn’t just come to drink, but to discover something new. Once they started showing me trust, I realized things were going well.”

However, Terminal is the result of hard work and the establishment of an authority that Valentina wishes to continue to refine. Here are her words: “In my field and many others, there was a certain closeness regarding women. It was a predominantly male environment, and breaking through wasn’t easy. I think when you have a passion and realize that this is your path, you have to try to follow it. I can tell you that while I was working, some suppliers even asked to speak with the boss. In those moments, all the groundwork I had done gave me awareness and the ability to handle such situations. I’ve learned to manage situations that sometimes slip out of our control when working in nightlife. Fortunately, I’ve built a great clientele because I made important choices from the start. But it’s still not easy; it’s a life entirely dedicated to the bar, and I still have a lot to learn about the entrepreneurial side. In Italy, it’s also very complicated due to the difficulties in accessing support for young entrepreneurs.”

For her future, Valentina hopes to open many more Terminals and wants the one in Fiumicino to be just the starting point. “I want to bring many small corners around the world. This is my biggest dream, and I’ve designed my bar to be replicable in different locations. I’m already working on opening a second one and hope to grow even more,” Valentina Salvatore concluded.

Terminal awaits you at Via del Porto di Claudio 8, Fiumicino.