Madelyn Alfano – Restaurateur, hospitality leader and steward of Italian comfort food

Great food lasts, but great hospitality endures. Madelyn Alfano is CEO and owner of Maria’s Italian Kitchen and a lifelong restaurant operator shaped by growing up in her family’s Italian grocery and food business. With more than five decades of brand history behind her, she brings deep expertise in operations, leadership and building community-driven restaurants that stand the test of time.

In this episode of Forktales, Madelyn shares how Maria’s grew from a small takeout kitchen into a multi-location Southern California institution, lessons learned from leading through crises like the Northridge earthquake, and why clear communication and servant leadership matter more than ever.