Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> October 6, 1999
Born into a family of immigrant Italian restaurateurs, JOSEPH P.
MICATROTTO spent much of his youth working in the family business,
amassing years of experience even before he graduated from college. By
the time he earned his M.B.A. from Miami University in Ohio, in 1975, he
had long since decided that his future lay in the hospitality industry
as well. Within two years, Mr. Micatrotto had developed Hall's Waffles,
a three-store chain of 24-hour family restaurants located in the
southern Ohio area. In 1977, Mr. Micatrotto desire for more formal
experience brought him next to Steak & Ale Restaurants Corporation, then
considered the premier restaurant company in the nation. As a managing
partner and general manager, he seized that opportunity to fine-tune his
skills and gain insight into the dynamics of a well-run organization. It
was during his tenure with Chi-Chi's restaurants, however, that Mr.
Micatrotto's talents fully revealed themselves. Rising to become
President and CEO after joining the company as a franchise general
manager, Mr. Micatrotto played an instrumental role in Chi-Chi's
expansion from 26 units to a 270-store chain with sales in excess of
$500 million. In 1992, Mr. Micatrotto accepted the position of President
and Chief Operating Officer of Panda Management Company, Inc., and in
1995 was promoted to President, Chief Executive Officer. Under his
leadership, Panda expanded from 85 to 225 units in 29 states, increasing
sales from $85 million to $150 million to became the country's largest
and fastest-growing privately-held Chinese food service company. Mr.
Micatrotto's latest challenge brings him full circle. As Chairman, CEO,
and President of Buca di Beppo restaurants since July 1996, the second
generation immigrant has returned to his roots: operating and growing a
collection of immigrant southern Italian neighborhood restaurants.
Recognized repeatedly as a cutting edge concept, Buca di Beppo has
received numerous industry awards and won a great deal of positive
attention from consumer, trade and business media on the strength of its
lively and authentic representation of the immigrant experience
something Micatrotto appreciated the moment he walked in the door. As a
full-blooded Italian whose grandparents emigrated from Campobasso and
settled in Cleveland's Little Italy, Mr. Micatrotto has said that
assuming leadership of Buca di Beppo restaurants 'felt like coming
home.' Mr. Micatrotto has worked with an immigrant's enthusiasm to
position both the brand and company for national expansion. In just
three years, he has overseen the opening of 28 new restaurants and led
the Minneapolis-based restaurant group in April, 1999 to a successful
public offering. Drawing on his experience in the rollout of new
concepts and restaurant expansions, Mr. Micatrotto has assembled a
seasoned senior management team with specialists spearheading each of
the critical disciplines of finance, operations, marketing, food and
beverage, development, and human resources. Mr. Micatrotto has served on
numerous industry boards and is currently on the Board of Directors of
the National Restaurant Association and the American Beverage Institute
where he served as president and co-founder. Mr. Micatrotto and his wife
have been active in their sons' college organizations as well as local
charitable functions. Profile
services, activities, customers, those kinds of things please.
Mr. Micatrotto: The company began in 1993 in downtown
