GBCVB President & CEO Pat Moscaritolo Inducted into Massachusetts Restaurant Association Hall of Fame

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2018
Media contacts: David O’Donnell
dodonnell@bostonusa.com

Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB) President & CEO Patrick B. Moscaritolo was inducted into the Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) Hall of Fame on October 23, 2018. 

Moscaritolo is the first Boston CVB CEO to be inducted into the Mass. Restaurant Association Hall of Fame.  Besides Moscaritolo, other inductees included Nancy Matheson-Burns, President & CEO of Dole & Bailey, a full-service supplier of local, sustainable products; Ron Emma, Owner/operator of three Emma’s Pub & Pizza locations in southeastern MA and a wholesale pizza business; and Judy Herrell, Owner/operator of the iconic Herrell’s Ice Cream in Northampton. 

The MRA holds its Hall of Fame dinner every two years to recognize leaders who have left lasting impacts on the MA hospitality industry. In order to make the MRA Hall of Fame, individuals must be outstanding corporate citizens who have demonstrated, over a prolonged period, results that benefit the restaurant and hospitality community.

“It’s an incredible honor to be selected for the MRA’s Hall of Fame alongside these remarkable business leaders and entrepreneurs, all of whom have made extraordinary contributions to the Boston and Massachusetts culinary culture and dining scene,” said Moscaritolo.  “Growing up in East Boston, where my mother and father owned and operated a restaurant for 72 years, I cannot begin to tell you how special this recognition and award is to me.  My first job during high school was working on weekends in the family restaurant and there I learned firsthand about the challenges owners and operators of restaurants as well as those in businesses that support, supply and service restaurants across Boston and Massachusetts faced pretty much on a daily basis.  Working in the restaurant business at a young age is like getting an MBA from a top business school.”

During his induction speech Moscaritolo praised his team at the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau and his colleagues across the Boston visitor industry, whom he has worked with for more than 28 years.  “Recognition and achievements like this Mass. Restaurant Association Hall of Fame induction, I believe, are meant to be shared with all those who made it possible,” Moscaritolo said in his remarks. “I have been so very fortunate to work with an amazing team at the Bureau.  I also had the benefit of many mentors during my time at the Bureau and many of them were successful restaurant owners, chefs, and hotel General Managers, including two that are here tonight – Francois Nivaud and David Colella.  I worked closely with these chefs, restaurant owners and hotel GMs to create Boston Restaurant Week in August 2001.  At that time, we were the second CVB behind NYC to create a Restaurant Week program.  I know Bostonians do not like to be second to New Yorkers in anything but since we tonight are playing in the World Series and New York isn’t, I thought I should be gracious and recognize them for that contribution.  When it launched, we had 35 member restaurants participate and our program was for lunch only and for just five days.  Today, Boston Restaurant Week takes place twice a year, in March and August, for two full weeks and covers both lunch and dinner and has more than 155 participating restaurants.  Our program is the second longest in the US and that’s a testimony to the hundreds of restaurants and chefs who support it and have given us great feedback on how to improve it over the years.”

Moscaritolo has also been inducted into the Mass. Lodging Association Hall of Fame and was the recipient of World Boston’s International Citizen award along with former Mass. Governor William Weld. During his career as CEO at the Boston CVB and prior to that as Director of Boston’s Logan Airport, Moscaritolo has been singled out for awards by both private and public organizations for his leadership and accomplishments including being selected by the Boston Business Journal as one of the top 100 leaders in Boston, by Yankee Magazine as the New England Travel Person of the Year, and by the MA visitor industry as the Executive of the Year.

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