Maurice Carrubba—also known as the Warren Buffett of restaurateurs—has a knack for finding classic restaurants with great bones and transforming them into go-to dining experiences. Born and raised in Sicily, Maurice moved to Silicon Valley in 1989 where he now runs a restaurant group and a catering company and employs over 150 people. Maurice also runs a nearby farm that sustains two of his restaurants, and he is working to reduce his carbon footprint and foster a culture of respecting and taking care of the earth to younger generations. Tune in to hear all about how Maurice is revolutionizing the food industry.

Before any world-changing innovation, there was a moment, an event, a realization that sparked the idea before it happened. This is a podcast about that moment — about that idea. Before IT Happened takes you on a journey with the innovators who imagined — and are still imagining — our future. Join host Donna Loughlin as her guests tell their stories of how they brought their visions to life.

JUMP STRAIGHT INTO:

(03:17) - From Sicily to Silicon Valley - “My father, who was an artist with masonry and stonework, they seeked him out, found him all the way in Sicily, flew him out. He looked at the job, he says, ‘Yeah, I can do this.’ They were like, ‘Well, 12 other people have told us you you couldn’t do it. Are you sure you can do it?’”

(09:26) - Opening the first family-run restaurant - “My father said, ‘Look, how about we put a little coffee shop here? Would you mind? You know, I'd love to do that. I want to do something with my kids.’ He knew I loved food at a very young age and I said, ‘Dad, I'd love the opportunity.’”

(11:30) - Dishes that define family and taste like tradition - “We love to eat. There's so many different dishes, but I guess it depends on the time of year.”

(15:45) - The Warren Buffett of restaurants - “I purchased some companies that were very good companies, but unfortunately had challenges and operations issues. I was able to take those companies and take those customers and build those companies back up from there.”

(18:31) - The GrandView and growing the restaurant group - “When we purchased the property, we knew it was going to be a huge undertaking. There was a lot of work that needed to be done structurally.”

(28:07) - Grandview Farms and the philosophy behind it - “We don't use any pesticides. We dry farm when we can. The property is all on solar. We compost our scraps from our restaurants.”

EPISODE RESOURCES:

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Farm to Table, Silicon Valley-style with Maurice Carrubba