ROB MAFFUCCI

** ******* ***** *****

Ellington, Connecticut 06029

860-***-**** (Cell) • adomwm@r.postjobfree.com • LinkedIn

Chef / Entrepreneur / Executive

Accomplished, award-winning business leader who has built a career seeing and seizing opportunity – and creating extraordinary value in diverse professional environments. Over a 30+ year period developed Vito’s Restaurant Group to significant regional and national success. Built the business from inception at a single location into a dynamic, highly rated, multi-location business, employing 120+ staff members, generating $6 million+ in annual revenue. Celebrated for challenging Bobby Flay in nationally televised competition on the Food Network. Recognized start-up and turnaround expert. Created and grew multiple successful enterprises. Successful, innovative, groundbreaking engineering professor at the University of Hartford. Successful musician and sound engineer. Media savvy; appeared on national television. Fully qualified and able to build an enterprise to new levels of product quality, operational effectiveness, service excellence and profitability.

Strategic Planning & Thinking

Talent Acquisition

Leveraging Technology

Marketing / Social Media

P&L Management

Business Operations

Product/Menu Development

Public Speaking

Service Excellence

Leadership Development

Raising the Bar

Delivering Results

MS Office. Designed business analytics tools for clients.

EXPERIENCE

VITO’S RESTAURANTS 1988-Present

Multi-Location, Highly Versed, Culturally Focused and Aggressive Food and Beverage Operation –

A Reputation for Integrity, Quality and Excellence in Management

Owner / Entrepreneur

After gaining ten years of experience in the restaurant/hospitality business by working for and with parents at Vito’s Pizzaria in Wethersfield, created a highly successful sit-down Italian restaurant at 26 Trumbull Street in Hartford, a location that had seen four consecutive prior failures. Designed, renovated and opened the enterprise within 40 days of securing the lease. Evolved this business into Vito’s by the Park, the “signature brand” of Vito’s Restaurants, which opened in 1996. In 2008, opened Vito’s By the Water in Windsor. In 2017 opened V’s Trattoria moved and rebranded the downtown location.

Growth of the Enterprise – Created successful restaurants in Wethersfield and Windsor. Recruited, selected, developed and motivated managers and staff at each location. The businesses became an intricate part of the local economy and a very recognizable part of the business and community landscapes.

Top Ratings – Vito’s Restaurants have a Zagat rating of excellent and an Open table rating of 4.7. In 2018 Vito’s Trattoria won Best New Restaurant by Connecticut Magazine. (Link to Magazine Cover).

Regional and National Recognition – Two-time Recipient of the prestigious “40 Under 40” Award by the Hartford Business Journal. Vito’s Restaurant Group was named as one of the top ten independent restaurant groups in the country by Restaurant Business Magazine. (2001). The winning business strategies that led to success in a “bankruptcy-plagued” location were featured in a case study by two major universities. (Link to HBJ Article).

Promotional Videos – (Vito’s Food Reel) (Vito’s Restaurants: A Flight Over Italy) (Vito’s and Back East Present: Beer to Bacon)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQgqpTU4dyo)

National Television – Appeared on the Food Network, cooking competitively against Bobby Flay, Chopped Champions and Iron Chefs. (Link to Pre-Airing Article) (Link to Food Network Video – After Commercial, Click on “Watch”)

Business Consulting – As an outgrowth of the core enterprise success, engaged in business consulting.

oDeveloped management systems for the Restaurant Business Guru Consulting, which helped struggling businesses throughout Connecticut.

oAlong with a partner, revitalized and turned around an outside food and beverage concession for “Summer Wind”, a summer concert venue in Windsor, Connecticut. Featured acts included the Steve Miller Band, Bruce Hornsby and Greg Allman.

Rob Maffucci/Page Two

UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD (Ward School of Engineering) – West Hartford, Connecticut 1997-2007

Professor of Audio Engineering

Recruited by the university to create and deliver 6 new core courses to the curriculum for the Ward School of Engineering’s first Audio Engineering Major. Prepared and presented daily lesson plans to freshman and sophomore engineering students. Performed all functions while also working full-time in the restaurant/hospitality business.

Helped Significantly Grow the Major – The delivered curriculum became the heart of the Audio Engineering Major, which went on to become the fastest-growing undergraduate major at the University of Hartford (1998-2004). It was an example of the right program at the right time, meeting a growing need in business and society.

Strategic Advisors / Board of Visitors – Became a member of the Ward College of Engineering Board of Visitors, comprised of members from United Technologies, ESPN and other major employers, including engineering firms from across Connecticut. Advised and supported the College in meeting its goals to deliver a program and a culture that could help students compete and succeed in the dynamic technology sector.

EARLY CAREER & CONSULTING EXPERIENCE 1982-1997

Entrepreneur / Audio Engineer / Musician

Developed and demonstrated diverse, high level skills in performance, presentation, business development, audio engineering and business management.

Business Consultant – Throughout career, engaged imagination, analytical abilities and the courage to act on an idea in several business models and iterations.

Created Farm Recording Studio in South Windsor, Connecticut – This audio engineering studio delivered a unique value to performers – flat rate studio rentals – which met and unserved need in the marketplace and drove the business’ positive reputation and growth.

Founder/Owner - Maffucci Communications – Created a successful breakout company in the early days of the cell phone industry. Factory certified by Panasonic. Performed custom installations for residential and commercial clients.

Professional Musician – Performed on several occasions with Jaimoe Johnson of the Allman Brothers Band, and on occasion – the Allman Brothers Band itself, and many other world class musicians throughout the years.

oDeveloped proprietary business management analysis tools and programs. Analyzed a concession business which, despite a good location, had lost $30,000 a year for three years. Designed and help execute the plan which profited $100,000 in the first year. This relationship led to a partnership in “Vito’s by the Water” in Windsor, which had a successful decade long run (2008-2018).

oHighly successful event caterer. Ignited the “Farm to Table” revolution in Connecticut. Creating Farm dinner events throughout the state. (Farm to Table Experience website). Some of it has been published in the Hartford Courant and in The History of Connecticut Wines book.

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Hartford Courant Vito’s Trattoria Rebranding Article (2017)

V’s Trattoria Review (2017)

Hartford Metro Alliance Maffucci Family of Restaurants Magazine Cover (2004)

EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD (Ward School of Engineering) – West Hartford, Connecticut

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering Technology, 1988

Self-financed 100% of college expenses by working 20+ hours/week in the restaurant/hospitality industry.

Certificate, Audio Engineering, Trod Nossel Studios, 1989 – Wallingford, Connecticut

AI PRINCE TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL – Hartford, Connecticut

Graduate, Electronics, 1984

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