Mario Carbone is an acclaimed chef, restaurateur, and cofounder of Major Food Group (MFG), the luxury hospitality company behind Carbone and more than 50 celebrated establishments worldwide.
Raised in Queens, NY, he refined his craft at Del Posto and Café Boulud before launching MFG with fellow CIA graduate and honoree Rich Torrisi ’01 and partner Jeff Zalaznick.
Known for transforming Italian-American cuisine into meticulously crafted, theatrical experiences, Carbone’s signature approach elevates the red-sauce dishes of his childhood into modern expressions of luxury, where every element—design, service, lighting, and soundtrack—is orchestrated with precision.
His namesake restaurant propelled the group’s global rise and set the template for the concepts that followed, each rooted in nostalgia yet executed with exacting craft. Renowned for his hands-on creative leadership, Carbone oversees every facet of the MFG experience, shaping a distinctive style that blends heritage, spectacle, and contemporary sophistication.
Today, his vision extends beyond restaurants into hotels and branded residences, including the landmark Villa Miami project. As MFG expands internationally, his influence continues to define how dining, design, and hospitality intersect, creating experiences that are as emotionally resonant as they are culinarily ambitious.