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JEFF GIGANTE Restauranteur - Ciccio Restaurant Group. Jeff Gigante started out as a waiter in the restaurant business in New York City. His partner, James Lanza, and his brothers owned five of the hottest restaurants in New York City in the late eighties and early nineties. “Most everybody in the restaurant business in New York is trying to be an actor or a director,” says Gigante. “I was shoulder to shoulder with a lot of people going through the same struggle. I loved acting. I went to school for it, and I went after it voraciously; but I was a young married guy in New York City. I remember being on Madison Avenue and my wife crying, saying, “We’re never going to have health insurance.” I was a server, and I was working for these guys that were dynamic and passionate about what they did.”
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He wanted to capture that same unique aspect and bring it Tampa. In 1996, he opened Ciccio and Tony’s in the SoHo District. His restaurant group began with himself, Lanza, a chef and a half dozen employees. Now, twenty years later, at a little over 600 employees and growing, Gigante and Lanza have become the Caesars of a small empire of restaurants in the Tampa Bay area, including Ciccio, Daily Eats and Fresh Kitchen.
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Their chef, Luis Flores, has been with them since day one in New York City is the rock of the company. “His creativeness amongst all types of cuisine has been paramount in us creating all these dynamic and unique restaurant concepts,” says Gigante.
Gigante believes the secret to his success is the focus on hiring young, ambitious, inspired chefs that are coming under the tutelage of experienced chefs like Flores. “We instill a culture in the staff that encourages individuals to bring their own spark, creativity and personality to the brand,” says Gigante. “The culture of what the restaurant group is to show love and passion in what you do, and it will come across on the plate.” “When I was a young guy starting out in this, I wanted to be in the front of a restaurant. Now for me, if I can get home by 6:00 o’clock and be with my wife and kids and have a wonderful meal at the house, and still know that we’re serving 100,000 meals a month with people that are passionate about this; that is success to me.” In his free time, Jeff enjoys fishing, traveling, speaking to students about the inspiration and drive it takes to succeed in business. He also is the manager/agent of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up, John Racener. He is married to the love of his life, Erica, and he has two amazing children, Ciro and Isabel.