Stacy Mald

Fuzio Universal Bistro managing director, Stacy Mald, has made a creative mark in the hospitality industry since graduating from Florida International University Hospitality School more than 25 years ago.

Stacy came to work for Fuzio nearly 10 years ago as vice president of operations and shortly after it was named Hot Concept by Nation's Restaurant News. In May 2007 he went to work for "franchisee turned franchisor" Allen Beebe when he bought Fuzio and charged Stacy with overseeing menu development, marketing, operations and construction.

Stacy's accomplishments in the restaurant industry started early on. While in hospitality school he went to work for his professor at FIU who had an idea for a little neighborhood restaurant he called Applebee's. The restaurant was later sold to"those other guys" for a modest $40,000.

After hospitality school he went to work for Mr. Greenjean's in Toronto and then landed himself a position at what was soon voted one country's top ten hotels by Hotel Magazine - La Valencia in La Jolla, California. While he was there, the hotel hotspot won the Wine Spectator award five years in a row. He also spearheaded San Diego's first Meals on Wheels program, making it the first hotel in the market to participate. He moved on to open La Valencia's sister resort - Rancho Valencia and history repeated itself when it was soon awarded number one resort by Harpers Hideaway.

A California transplant from Manhattan, Stacy quickly took to the west coast's farm fresh, laid back approach to cuisine. If you've ever enjoyed a tableside margarita at El Torito you can thank Stacy for that. His out-of-the-box approach to executing a classic drink won him a gold medal at the Copa de Oro in Costa Mesa in 1987.

Stacy is still active in alumni activities at his alma mater and on the rare occasions when he's not in his restaurants he's hard at work on the golf course or tending to his King Charles Spaniels.