Hyde Park, NY – The
Culinary Institute of America is well-represented in Restaurant Hospitality magazine’s new list of the “” in America.
Among the CIA graduates whose restaurant groups made the
list are Michael Mina, chef and
owner of the Mina Group; Rich Torrisi and Mario
Carbone, co-founders of Major Food Group (MFG); and Ron Parker, chief operating officer, and Richard Coraine, chief of staff, at Union
Square Hospitality Group.
Mina’s San Francisco-based company now has 32 restaurants.
Major Food Group and Union Square Hospitality Group are each based in New York
City. MFG has 13 restaurants with eight different concepts, and Union Square consists
of 14 restaurants.
Trustees and fellows of the college named to the list
include Mina, as well as Thomas Keller, chef and owner of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, known for Per Se and The
French Laundry; Daniel Boulud, chef and owner of The Dinex Group, with 20 restaurants in New York City; and Nick Valenti, CEO of Patina Restaurant
Group with nearly 60 units across the United States and in Japan.
“These companies are powerful for a number of reasons,”
writes Restaurant Hospitality editor
Lisa Jennings. “They are operators everyone is watching because of their
innovation. They are evolving with the changing consumer, although most have
been around for decades. They are breaking old models and reinventing the way
restaurants operate. And they are crossing segment lines, moving deftly from
fine dining to quick service, while maintaining a reputation for excellence.”
The list was released during the annual Multi-Unit
Foodservice Operators (MUFSO) Conference in Dallas, TX on October 3.
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image:
Restaurateur Mario Carbone (left) with CIA President Tim
Ryan in 2014. Carbone and business partner Rich Torrisi,
both CIA alumni, were named among the Restaurant
Hospitality “25 Most Powerful Multiconcept Operators” for 2017. (Photo credit:
CIA/Phil Mansfield)
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Writer
845-451-1372
Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier
culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and
hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers bachelor’s degrees in
management, culinary arts, culinary science, and applied food studies, and
associate degrees in either culinary arts or baking and pastry arts. The
college also offers executive education through its Food Business School along
with certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its
conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA
the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of nearly 50,000
alumni includes innovators in every area of the food business. The CIA has
locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore.
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