20 Year Veteran – From The South Bronx to the Big Time

Mike has always had the instinct and drive needed for the fast paced, ever-changing restaurant business. As a child of Puerto Rican immigrants growing up in the South Bronx, Mike was introduced to the rigors of working in a restaurant at an early age. Living just two blocks from Yankee Stadium, Mike, an avid baseball player and fan, began working at a local “Mom & Pop” pizza parlor to save up money for bleacher tickets to Yankees games.

Mike’s Evolution to the Washington D.C. Metro Area

It has been a fast and interesting path to success since the South Bronx, which didn’t always involve the restaurant biz:

  • 15-year old Mike gave up the Mom & Pop pizza parlor and started flipping pizzas in Jersey at Italian Delight. By 19 years old, Mike was the GM, and was attending Stockton State College on a baseball scholarship.
     
  • At 20, Mike was on the baseball diamond playing for the Seattle Mariners’ Class A Minor League team!
  • Italian Delight made him an offer he couldn’t refuse… so he gave up his promising baseball career, and moved to Fairfax, VA where he lead the company’s new expansions on the East Coast as President of Operations. He was instrumental in positioning Italian Delight in highly visible, profitable venues including shopping mall food courts – a relatively new approach at the time!
     
  • In the late eighties, after the sale of Italian Delight, Mike pursued his dream of opening a fine dining restaurant. Bravo’s was born and grew to six locations.

New D.C. Trendsetter – Malibu Grill

Mike discovered a Brazilian steakhouse in New York and fell in love with the cuisine. Following many months of consulting with a Brazilian chef to learn the intricacies of the country’s cuisine, Malibu Grill in Falls Church, Virginia was born. Malibu Grill was profiled in the Washington Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Restaurant News, Restaurant Magazine, Restaurant Institute, Restaurant Hospitality Magazine and on CNN as the hottest new steakhouse in the United States. Mike Cordero was touted in print as being one of the new trendsetters in the Washington metropolitan area.  

Toro Tapas

In 1998, Mike introduced another new and innovative restaurant idea to the Washington metropolitan area – Spanish Tapas and paellas. Toro Tapas, in Shirlington, was an instant success.

Latin Flare in Alexandria and Arlington – Café Salsa and Caribbean Breeze

Mike decided to bring the hot new concept of Latin Fare and Ambiance to Alexandria, Virginia. On January 1, 2002, Café Salsa - a Cuban / Caribbean restaurant opened its doors in Old Town Alexandria, VA., where it has made a big name for itself in the Washington metropolitan area.

And, instead of reveling in the success of Café Salsa, Mike opened Caribbean Breeze in Arlington in March of 2005. Caribbean Breeze offers Nuevo Latino Fare, exotic cocktails, beautiful surroundings, the largest dance floor in Arlington, and a covered patio to take it all in.

Mike Cordero is always defining and exploring new trends and is currently working on two new concepts for the Washington metropolitan area.