As a native Sicilian, master chef and restaurateur, Carmelo Mauro has honored the land of his ancestry by giving Texans an exploration of the true variety of Italian culinary treasures. With two highly successful restaurants in Houston and Austin, Carmelo is winning over the hearts, and palates, of Texans, with food that is true to tradition.

Carmelo was born in Taormina, Sicily, and travel was his dream from early childhood. The hotel industry gave him the opportunity when he worked his way up from bellhop to general manager. He was accepted for an apprenticeship at the Frankfurter Hoff in Frankfurt, Germany where he learned German. From there, Carmelo was sent to England to work at the Queen's Hotel in Leeds, England, where he learned English and, from there, to the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland, where he learned French. His hotel career continued with Intercontinental Hotels in Europe and Africa, the South Hampton Princess in Bermuda and the Royal Palms & Beach Club in the Cayman Isles. Including Spanish and Italian, he speaks five languages.

After working 20 years in restaurants and hotels all over the world, Carmelo moved to Houston in 1978 with his wife Hilary and opened his own romantic "Old World" Italian restaurant. In 1985, Carmelo's expanded to Austin, leasing, and eventually purchasing, the historic "Old Depot Hotel," the oldest standing train depot in the state of Texas. Both restaurants have been lovingly restored and are a continual "work in progress!"

Among many honors, Carmelo's Italian Restaurant was chosen by the National Pizza and Pasta Association as their 1993 "Pasta Maker of the Year," in competition with 42,000 other pizza and pasta operators. For his commitment to quality, he was named a 1997 honoree in the Blue Chip Enterprise Initiative, an annual program that recognizes small firms that have overcome challenges. It is a program sponsored by MassMutual, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Nation's Business. For his dedication to community service, Carmelo was recognized by the National Restaurant Association as their 2001 Cornerstone Humanitarian of the Year. That same year, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce awarded Carmelo's their small business "Commitment to Community" award.

To what does Carmelo attribute achieving this measure of success? "The most important thing is to believe in yourself, know what you are doing and surround yourself with people who believe in you and want to grow with you," he says. "Then the rest just follows."

Carmelo's is also helping create history by becoming a school based restaurant to teach students entrepreneurial skills. This pioneer program, the first of its kind in the nation, opened in Del Valle High School in 2001 to give students the tools they need to successfully pursue a career in business. As part of the program, a Carmelo's Italian Restaurant was built within the school to serve as a business laboratory accompanied by a comprehensive three-year curriculum. This is all under the auspices of the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation whose mission it is to educate the workforce within the foodservice industry as well as provide information about opportunities and careers within the industry.

In Houston, Carmelo is a past board member of the West Houston Chamber of Commerce, a founding member of the West Houston Leadership Institute, an advisory board member of the Miller Career & Technology Center in Katy, an advisory board member of the Art Institute of Houston and a board member of Interfaith Care Partners.

Carmelo is a member of the TRA Education Foundation Board of Directors, a former president of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association and current Senior Vice President of the Texas Restaurant Association.

As a restaurateur, Carmelo makes "eating out fun". He is also an active member of his community who is always seeking ways to make it a stronger, more vibrant place to live and work. Carmelo wants to spread his enthusiasm for getting involved and inspire others to go above and beyond their limitations. By significantly changing and fulfilling the lives of individuals, particularly the youth, he is creating a legacy inspired by community service