Culinary Creative Management Company, which oversees operation of a number of Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant properties in New York City, has named Raffaele Piarulli its CEO.
Piarulli is a veteran of the Eataly food hall and retail chain, which has 45 locations worldwide. He started at its first location in Turin, Italy, in 2009 while studying physics and engineering at Politecnico University in Milan.
He moved to New York for the launch of Eataly’s first location in that city and became executive vice president for North America in 2019 and chief operating officer in 2022.
“We are excited to have Raffaele join our team as CEO and bring his tremendous expertise and industry leadership to Creative Culinary Management,” said Luigi Comandatore, co-CEO of Jean-Georges Restaurant Holding Company, which founded Culinary Creative Management in 2020 to operate properties in lower Manhattan, including The Fulton and The Tin Building by Jean-George, both at the former site of the city’s Fulton Fish Market, and other operations on Pier 17, all part of the city’s revitalized Seaport district.
The Tin Building is a 54,000 square-foot venue with 14 restaurants and bars.
“Raffaele will be a great asset to Creative Culinary Management and to the Seaport as we continue to channel our team’s creative energy and extensive knowledge of hospitality into our passion for creating exceptional culinary experiences,” the other co-CEO, Lois Freedman, said.
Piarulli said he was looking forward to his new position.
“I am excited to be joining the amazing team at Creative Culinary Management … a company whose commitment to exceptional hospitality has helped transform New York’s Seaport neighborhood into an incredibly popular food mecca,” he said. “I see tremendous opportunities ahead to continue to provide the amazing experiences that the Seaport is known for, while driving CCMC forward into its next chapter of impactful growth.”
Jean-Georges Restaurant Holding Company oversees around 45 properties globally, including Vongerichten’s flagship Jean-Georges restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
