Jeff Mastro. Mike Mastro. Dennis Mastro.
For more than three decades, these names have come to represent something steady. Not just great restaurants, but a standard people trust. Steak 44. Ocean 44. Dominick’s Steakhouse. Durant’s. Rooms that feel the same no matter how many times you walk into them. Familiar in the best way.
From Arizona to cities across the country, that consistency has held. Chicago. Beverly Hills. Del Mar. Newport Beach. Growth happened, but the feeling never changed.
That does not happen by accident. It happens over time. And more importantly, it happens when sons are close enough to see it.
Not all at once, but over years. In the way a father moves through his day, what he pays attention to, what he never lets slip, and what he always makes time for.
For Nicholas, Mike’s youngest, it begins in the quiet spaces most people never see.
“I always loved going to the restaurants with my dad and seeing what goes on behind the scenes,” he says. “He always worked so hard and you could tell how much he cared about every part of the business.”
At that age, it did not feel like a lesson; it felt normal.
“There wasn’t a time that he wasn’t working, always paying attention to every little detail even when we were just there for dinner,” Nicholas says. “It was always inspiring and I always wanted to work as hard as he did.”
Years later, that memory became something clearer.
“One big lesson my dad always taught me was to just simply care. Care about everything little to everything big and work hard at whatever it is you’re doing.”
For Dominick, Jeff’s son, the memory begins differently. Not with work, but with a feeling you cannot quite name as a child.
“I remember being very young, spending time inside the restaurants, and feeling completely captivated by the atmosphere,” he says. “The moment you walked through the doors, it was like stepping into another world, one filled with romance, elegance, and a lively sense of joy.”
It was the kind of feeling you don’t question, you just remember.
“There was this special energy that made everyone want to put their best foot forward, to laugh louder, and to savor every second. Even as a child, I could feel the pride and care behind every small detail.”
At some point, however, Dominick stopped noticing the room and instead focused on his father.
“There have been many times I’ve watched my dad at work, but one of the first moments that truly stood out to me was when I realized his unwavering leadership. He’s always taught me that real leadership isn’t about demanding more from people, but about guiding them with steady care, gently encouraging them to grow, believe in themselves, and become better every single day.”
And then there are the moments that define something deeper.
“No matter how busy he was or how much he had going on, he made it a priority to be at my football games,” he says. “Looking back now, I realize how powerful it was to know he was always there.”
That is what stuck.
“It’s about showing up, being responsible, and pushing through even when things are difficult.”
For Dominick, though, everything shifted when watching became doing.
“When I first started with the company, I was just a busser, and I honestly had no idea where it would take me.”
Then came the realization.
“I saw firsthand how many people pour themselves into making it successful. I realized I wasn’t just working for the company, I was part of something much bigger than myself.”
For Zach, Mike’s son, it took time to recognize what had always been there.
“Something he has always done is put his family first in everything he does. Growing up, I probably didn’t fully understand it because it was just how he lived.”
Perspective changes everything.
“He wakes up every day thinking about how he can improve the lives of the people he loves,” Zach says. “Whether it is working hard or helping in ways that often go unnoticed, he always does what he can to make life better for his family. He never makes a big deal about it or looks for recognition. He just does it because that is who he is.”
And when he thinks about it now, one moment comes to mind.
“If I had to describe him through one memory, it would be him surrounded by family or friends, making everyone laugh with some classic dad joke, while very quietly making sure everyone is taken care of. Hospitality has been a part of who he is for his entire life. It was never just his job. It is part of who he is.”
For Jake, Mike’s son, the first impression is something else entirely.
“He was often traveling for work and I thought that when your dad travels for work that means he’s really important. I always looked at him working and having to travel and I couldn’t wait to grow up and be able to do the same,” he shares.
But that wasn’t what defined him, even to this day.
“He always shows up,” Jake said. “Drops anything and everything for his family. If we show up unannounced to my parents house and he’s in a meeting or a call, he will call them back because his kids and grandkids are the most important thing to him.”
However, legacy, at its core, is family.
“I always knew he was building something special, but it fully clicked when I became part of the steakhouse team.”
And then, without ceremony, it became his to carry. Now he stands in both roles at once, son and father.
“My dad taught me to love hard but allow your children to learn through experience and allow them to make decisions of their own,” Jake says. “My dad gave us the freedom to make our own choices but steered us in the right direction when we veered the wrong way.”
And like every family, the lessons stay in the smallest ways.
The phrases that echo long after they are first said.
“You can’t help what you like, you can’t help what you don’t like.”
“Would your grandmother approve of that decision?”
“Don’t hesitate, give it gas.”
“Everything in moderation.”
They are simple, repeated, and remembered.
What the Mastro family has built is easy to point to: the restaurants, the expansion, the reputation. But that is not what holds it together.
“My father is a business genius who taught me the values of honor, respect, and passion,” says Dominick. “He showed me that work should not just be work, it should be your passion.”
And then the part that matters most.
“He taught me that success isn’t just about achievements and awards, but is about the relationships you build along the way.”
That is legacy, not simply what is built, but what is passed down, from father to son, and now from one generation to the next.