The men behind the Carbone restaurant empire don't just want to own your Saturday night—they're aiming for your whole lifestyle. That's the thrust of Daniel Riley's GQ dive into Major Food Group, run by the trio of Jeff Zalaznick, Mario Carbone, and Rich Torrisi, whose "more is more is more" approach has spawned a $500 million-plus restaurant-and-real-estate machine. And not just any machine but "one of the most successful restaurant businesses of all time," writes Riley. The story recounts how COVID-era Miami became their accelerant: When a number of establishments shut down, Zalaznick recognized the opportunity and scooped up the leases. Carbone Miami came into being in 2021 with a distinct vibe, hosting "what felt like a New Year's Eve party every night through that winter."
Riley tracks how the group has since parlayed blockbuster check averages (the amount spent per diner) and celebrity-heavy dining rooms into something bigger: private clubs with five-figure fees, hotels, condos with helipads, and Carbone outposts from Dubai to London—where critics hammered the restaurant even as it stayed packed. The restaurants, essentially, have become an entry point into a luxury lifestyle business. At home, meanwhile, the restaurant Torrisi in New York is framed as MFG's credibility play, its "shield of excellence" amid global sprawl. The story asserts that MFG "has built its entire existence on catering to those who do want to treat tonight as though it's uniquely special." Whether that inspires admiration for their entrepreneurship or "aggravation at our new gilded age" is what has people divided. To weigh that for yourself, read the full story.
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