Robert Mauro’s culinary career began at the age of 14 when he joined his extended family’s New York Based Butcher Shop, Ottomaneli’s Meat Market, assisting with the preparation of high-end meats, culinary events, and eventually opening café’s throughout NYC. Falling in love with food preparation, Rob enrolled in Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, where he graduated with honors in 1993 and later continued his education and earned a B.S. in Food Service Management.
After graduation, Rob honed his culinary skills by travelling throughout the United States and Europe and training under and working with some of the world’s leading culinary masters, including the legendary John Halligan of Halcyon Restaurant while Rob worked at The Righa Royal Hotel in New York City, and CMC Bradley Barnes of the Black Goose Grill in Darien Connecticut. Rob has also apprenticed at several Michelin starred restaurants, the Auberge du Pont Rouge in Le Mans, France and Bacon in Cap d’Antibes, as well as the world famous and 3-starred La Gavroche, in London.
From 1997-1998, Rob teamed up with friend and creative partner Michael B. Jacobs, working with Michael in creating a trend-setting concept in South Florida as executive sous chef at Tantra Restaurant and Lounge.
Seeking a change, Robert moved back to the northeast and became a private chef for several families in Manhattan and New Jersey, where he created menus for breakfasts, lunches and dinners, as well as coordinating cocktail and dinner parties for the families and their guests, ranging from informal get togethers to formal sit down events.
In August 2010, Rob joined forces again with Chef Jacobs in order to expand Jacobs’ company, Strategic Hospitality Group Miami (SHGM), a multi-service restaurant and hospitality consulting firm headquartered on Miami Beach. When Chef Jacobs decided to expand into the Northeast and the New York Metropolitan area, he contacted Rob and they reunited on their most ambitious project yet!
SHGM focuses on turnkey food and beverage services, from development, implementation, management and staffing of new restaurants, to evaluation and re-conceptualizing of non-performing restaurants, high-end catering, event coordination, and personalized concierge services.
SHGM has hit the ground running, quickly becoming a food service provider for The Miami Heat as well as conceptualizing and operating First Class In-flight Catering™, an executive food service, for private aviation within the Opa-Locka, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach airports. In addition, Chefs Jacobs and Mauro are currently developing restaurant concepts in Miami and Venezuela.
Interviews and photography available upon request.
