Robert Maffucci

Experience

• 

  Vito's Restaurants

  Jan 1988 - now

  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. Created successful restaurants in Wethersfield and Windsor. Recruited, selected, developed and motivated managers and staff at each location. 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.Appeared on the Food Network, cooking competitively against Bobby Flay, Chopped Champions and Iron Chefs. 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 detailed article in Stanford Law Review. Show less

• 

  Early Career / Consulting Experience

  Jan 1988 - Jan 1997

  Entrepreneur / Audio Engineer / Musician

  Developed and demonstrated diverse, high level skills in performance, presentation, business development, audio engineering and business management. Created Farm Recording Studio in South Windsor, Connecticut Founder/Owner - Maffucci Communications – Performed custom cell phone installations for residential and commercial clients. Performed on several occasions with Jaimoe Johnson of the Allman Brothers Band, on one occasion – the Allman Brothers Band itself – during an engagement in Hartford’s North Meadows, and many other world class musicians throughout the years. Highly successful event caterer. Ignited the “Farm to Table” revolution in Connecticut. Creating Farm dinner events throughout the state. Show less

• 

  University of Hartford

  Jan 1997 - Jan 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. 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).