Starting a blog – what a concept! This project has been on the books for quite some time now, but it’s one of those things that is too easy to put off; always getting put on tomorrow’s to do list. As a small company, family-owned and operated for now 32 (!) years, we always seem to have a lot on our collective plate. From receiving our huge shipments to unpacking, pricing, photographing product, to putting these items on our website, to stocking our huge storefront located conveniently in downtown Santa Barbara, it’s hard to find the time to devote to blogging! And then, where to start? I suppose it’s best to start from the beginning… where else?

The Spalluto Family

Famiglia Spalluto, 2014. Clockwise from top left: Francis, Joe, Julie, Ben, Carol, Adele

Italian Pottery Outlet got its start in 1982, when Ben Spalluto and his wife, Carol, discovered a shared love of Italian ceramics while visiting family in Italy. In the following years, while learning the retail market and finding suppliers in Italy, they hoped that their children could be involved sometime in the future. In 1996, daughter Julie joined the business, followed soon after by her sister, Adele. A few years ago, the Spalluto’s son, Joe, also joined the business. We launched our website in 1998. Today, The Italian Pottery Outlet is your source for the finest Italian pottery at discounted prices. As a wholesale distributor we are able to buy in volume and offer our imports to you at 30% off regular retail. Our family travels to Italy each year in search of new, interesting designs and patterns and we’re proud to bring these hand-crafted works of art to you. We import the largest selection of quality handmade and hand-decorated Italian ceramics in the West, providing our customers with beautiful, unique items for their homes and gardens. We offer excellent customer service and prompt shipping from our fully stocked warehouse.

In 2013 we proudly celebrated our 30th anniversary. The Spalluto family would like to extend its gratitude to all of the loyal customers who have shared a love of Italian ceramics with us throughout the years. A visit to the Italian Pottery Outlet in Santa Barbara, California will bring our website to life. We look forward to your next visit, but until then, we hope you enjoy our website!

Feel free to browse our website to your hearts content, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call! We have imported from Italy for more than 30 years and have a wealth of information concerning Italian ceramics. We have an even larger selection in our store, so if you don’t see exactly what you are looking for please contact us – we are happy to email photos!