From Rome to Miami: How Luca Di Michele Built a Multi-Concept Hospitality Career Across Two Continents

Building a career in hospitality is hard enough in one city. Doing it across two continents, speaking a second language, and growing a family business from one restaurant into a multi-concept group in under five years? That is a whole different beast. But Luca Di Michele has done exactly that since moving to the US in 2021.

Key Takeaways

• Luca Di Michele traded a law degree in Rome for floor work in US kitchens, building real operational skills across restaurants and bakeries.
• Luca’s step up from floor shifts in New York to General Manager at Rosaluna Ristorante in Miami proves consistent growth.
• The family business shows how to scale multiple dining concepts without burning out or rushing expansion.

There is a simple version of this story. An Italian law graduate moves to New York, joins his family’s restaurant, works hard, and opens new spots. But building something real in a new country inside a family enterprise involves far more daily friction than that summary suggests.

Luca Di Michele has handled those exact realities since 2021.

A Foundation Built Far From Hospitality

Before any of this, there was law school.

Luca studied at La Sapienza in Rome, earning a law degree from one of Italy’s oldest institutions. It is hardly the standard route into restaurant work. Yet the core skills, like critical thinking, problem-solving, reading tense rooms, and handling competing priorities, carry over onto the floor surprisingly well.

Running a dining room is about managing people, systems, and pressure all at once. A legal background trains your brain to stay calm when problems hit. That helps every shift.

New York: Learning the Business From the Ground Up

Luca did not get a corner office when he arrived in New York in 2021. He started on the floor. His first hands-on role was at Numero 28, the family’s New York restaurant.

Working active shifts gives you practical insight that no textbook offers. You see what works, what breaks during a dinner rush, and where bottlenecks form when you are in the room yourself.

That base mattered when expansion started.

Zeppola Bakery and the Shift Into Multi-Concept Operations

The family business opened Zeppola Bakery in 2023. This created a second distinct brand.

Expanding from a single restaurant into a multi-concept group is where many operators fail. Demands change overnight. Supply chains get messy, while staffing, scheduling, and food quality require strict coordination across different sites.

Helping lead that launch while Numero 28 was running gave Luca direct experience with business growth. He learned through daily execution with real deadlines, real guests, and real mistakes.

Rosaluna Ristorante: Opening and Managing in Miami

In August 2024, Luca Di Michele opened Rosaluna Ristorante in Miami as General Manager. It was his biggest step yet. It showed how much his operational role had expanded.

Opening a venue from scratch is very different from managing an existing operation. The process requires:

• Hiring, training, and building a full staff team while setting workplace standards
• Managing contractors, suppliers, and city inspectors at the same time
• Building daily operational systems before opening doors to the public
• Adjusting quickly when early customer habits differ from opening plans

Rosaluna has now operated for two years. In Miami’s tough dining market, that counts for a lot.

What This Career Looks Like as a Whole

It helps to look at the timeline together.

Year	Role	Location	Concept
2021	Restaurant Operations	New York	Numero 28
2023	Expansion Role	New York	Zeppola Bakery
2024	General Manager	Miami	Rosaluna Ristorante

Table 1: Career growth across concepts and locations

That shows three brands, two cities, and steady growth over five years. Moving from zero hospitality experience to leading a major Miami venue shows real adaptability.

Adapting Between Two Very Different Dining Markets

New York and Miami run on entirely different guest expectations. In Manhattan, raw speed and tight table turns dictate success on the dining room floor. In Miami, dining relies heavily on elevated guest experiences, an energetic atmosphere, and building genuine rapport with regulars. Bridging that geographical divide required Luca to adjust his management style quickly.

Navigating fast-paced dining in New York honed his focus on raw efficiency. Cultivating long-term repeat guests in Florida demanded patience, warmth, and constant floor visibility. Mastering both distinct environments showed that solid operational basics work everywhere when you respect local dining habits.

See also: Seo For Lawyers vs PPC: The Leverage Question Law Firms Cannot Ignore

What Drives the Work

Away from the dining room, Luca Di Michele plays padel, a racket sport popular in Italian and Latin communities that is growing fast in Miami. He also supports local charities quietly.

Looking at his career overall, you see someone focused on steady work. Combining a European law degree, floor experience, and a two-culture perspective gives him a solid base.

Miami has a tough dining scene. Building a lasting operation there inside a growing family business is a real achievement worth recognizing.