Maico was born in Maratea, a beautiful town in Basilicata on the southwest coast of Italy. He calls Verbicaro in Calabria his real home. He comes from a closely knit family – his father was a Venetian stucco construction professional, his mother a casalinga (housewife), his uncle a pizzeria owner, his brother is his current restaurant partner and his sister works in public relations.

Maico attended university in Pisa, with the intention of becoming an electrical engineer. That didn’t work out. Then he moved to Salerno with the intention of becoming an economist. That didn’t work out either. He then made a pivotal move that would give him clarity and confidence. Maico joined the Italian army and served for a year as a parachutist.

Over the past twenty years, Maico has served in many roles in a myriad of careers. He’s been a cook, barista, restaurant manager, grocery cashier, guitar player in a piano bar, elected official at a bank and an elected official for his hometown, and run an import/export business for food from southern Italy (Calabria) to Europe and United States.

However, it is his four years in commercial consulting for a computer company that he points to as key to his success today.

At age 32 his brother Franco convinced him to move to the United States and work with him. In 2006, Maico and Franco met the charismatic, talented chef that would become their other co-owner.

Maico works closely with front of the house leadership to continuously improve operations and strengthen the Italico & Terún brand. In addition, he oversees facilities management, information technology, public relations, and marketing to elevate restaurant operations and guest experience.

In his spare time, Maico is a relentless cyclist, just like his two partners.

A native of the small town of Ginosa in the Apulia region of Italy, Kristyan was born with an appreciation for wonderful food made with fresh, local ingredients.

Perhaps his passion for food began on the day he and his twin sister were born… in the kitchen, on the table in his family home. This, along with his dislike of traditional schooling and desire to make people happy, motivated him to pursue a career as a chef.

Kristyan’s mother worked at a restaurant, and he began his career alongside of her learning fundamental cooking techniques. At age 15, the family relocated to Asti, in Piemonte in the north of Italy. For the next ten years, he worked mornings with his father at the gas station and car wash they owned, and then went directly to the restaurant to work with his mother. His enthusiasm for his craft is genuine and simple, “In Italy it is a tradition to follow your parents. But, it is just inside of me.”,

At age 25, he yearned to learn the art of perfect pizza. Knowing that Neopolitan pizza is world famous , Kristyan found the best Neopolitan ristorante in Asti, and apprenticed with them for five years. These years were well spent, as Kristyan’s restaurant Terun is now one of only fifteen in California that is a member of American Delegation of the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, a non-profit that recognizes the handful of restaurants outside of Italy that meet strict standards and respect the meticulous process of traditional Neapolitan pizza making.

At age 30, he decided to pursue his dream and move to the United States and work toward opening a restaurant. He enrolled in English classes in Berkeley and worked several low-end jobs cooking and cleaning (lying to his mama back in Italy that he was working in a fantastic pizza restaurant), methodically working his way to Palo Alto to his realize his dream.

Kristyan’s varied experiences, together with his strong work ethic and gracious hospitality, have given him a wildly successful first & second restaurant that exceeds guest’s expectations every time.

As Italico’s Chief Financial Officer, Franco oversees all finance and accounting operations. He is also responsible for all vendor relationships, wine tastings and staffing.

  A native of southern Italy, Franco spent summers from the age of fourteen working in restaurants as a bartender, barista, and server. Franco received a Bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in hospitality from Università Della Calabria.

His first “real” position out of university was as a carabiniere (police officer)! A year and a half into law enforcement, a friend with a restaurant in Burlingame sold him on the California dream, and Franco packed his bags and moved to the United States.

Franco’s work ethic, along with his passion for the restaurant business served him well. He worked as a busboy, server, assistant manager, and finally became general manager of an Italian restaurant in Palo Alto over the course of 8 years.

His genuine enthusiasm and dedication to his position did not go unnoticed. During his tenure as GM, Franco was approached by two investors, and he knew his dream would become reality. He convinced his brother Maico to move the United States and work with him. Several years later, the brothers, along with their close friend/chef Kristyan, opened Terun. They haven’t looked back since.

In his spare time, Franco is zealous, hard-core cyclist.