Massimo Caruso was essentially born into the hotel business. His family launched The Placencia Resort in Belize when the 24-year-old Caruso was only a preschooler.
Caruso, now director of food and beverage operations at The Placencia Resort in Belize, said as he grew up, he was always in the shadows of the hotel's operations, listening and picking up on how everything worked — especially on the food-and-beverage side.
His love for cooking was accelerated by his grandparents, who helped raise him while his parents managed the property.
"I got to see them cook, the passion behind it, the love and dedication, and it just sparked something in me, and so I wanted to pursue it," he said on the latest episode of the Next Gen in Lodging podcast.
Caruso went to Johnson & Wales University to study hospitality and food service management. Before rejoining the family business, Caruso worked at a few restaurants in Miami, including the Michelin-starred Le Jardinier.
In his current role, Caruso strives to bring a high quality of food to the hotel's guests and operate the restaurant with the best sustainability practices. In Belize, it can be difficult to get certain vegetables and fruits, so Caruso planted a garden to grow basic herbs and vegetables.
"That is my contribution to the idea of farm to table that people appreciate," he said. "The taste is definitely different. You can definitely taste that it's fresh and that it's of quality."
The hotel is currently in the process of branding as a Hyatt. Caruso said the partnership is "amazing" and there's a level of standard guests can expect when they see that name.
"The exciting part is, I got to meet many, many amazing individuals in the Hyatt rankings, from chefs to managers, all truly as strong as you think they would be," he said. "I feel a sense of need and desire to offer a standard that befits the name."
For more from Caruso, listen to the podcast above.