John Rosatti, the family man, entrepreneur, and titan of the business world, is the personification of the American Dream.
Born in 1944 to Edward John and Angeline Rosatti, and raised in Brooklyn, the young John Rosatti was brought up with his Italian family’s belief in working as hard as you’re able to earn your living. Entering the workforce at the age of 13 part-time to help his family, John acquired his initial mechanical skills by helping his father work on boats, eventually using that same expertise to venture into the automobile industry in the years to come. In the early 60’s, Rosatti worked with various car-related companies, making connections and working hard on tasks including demolition and moving cars across long distances. It was with this experience, that he felt confident in opening up a body shop in 1968, which he would keep in business until his next big venture.
In 1976, through persistent hard work and a keen eye for opportunity, Rosatti purchased a Honda Motorcycle and Oldsmobile factory. Now in his early twenties, Rosatti continued to nurture it for years with a hands-on management approach, actively overseeing every aspect of the dealerships business units. This career move into the automotive world, though a seemingly natural progression to him at the time, would come to mark the start of one of the nation’s greatest success stories.
Eventually, John Rosatti would open the doors of Brooklyns Plaza Auto Mall, which eventually grew to encompass 16 leading automotive brands. Thanks to the unprecedented success of his Plaza Auto Mall (www.plazaautomall.com), which saw him consistently awarded as a top auto dealer in the nation for several of his brands, John Rosatti then began expanding his dealership holdings far outside of the New York City and Long Island markets, including Long Island, opening in Nevada, New Jersey and Florida.
In recent years, John Rosatti began to take an intense interest in the restaurant world, launching several high-end, Zagat-rated eateries in the South Florida area, namely the critically-acclaimed Vic & Angelo’s (www.vicandangelospga.com) and The Office Delray (www.theofficedelray.com). These restaurants have each won numerous awards for both their food and service, and are also where you’ll find the who’s who of South Florida on any given night.
In addition to launching his award-winning full-service restaurants, John Rosatti also set his focus on creating a restaurant franchise concept that has now become the fastest-growing all-natural burger franchise in the country... BurgerFi (www.burgerfi.com). BurgerFi serves up all-natural burgers, fresh-cut fries, specialty items such as Kobe-beef hotdogs, and a host of gourmet toppings. They also offer frozen desserts, as well as craft beers and wine- all in a beautifully decorated fast-casual environment that features environmentally sustainable elements like recycled furniture, and fans that use 66% less electricity. John Rosatti’s BurgerFi is now poised to open 150 stores nationwide, with more new franchise deals being signed every month. This rampant growth has led the media to label the expansion as the BurgerFication of the Nation.
While continuing to oversee his ever-expanding automobile and restaurant holdings, John Rosatti, a successful businessman who has, by all accounts, earned the right to play as hard as he works, also actively pursues his other passions in life. These include world travel, luxury yachts, cars, and planes. After taking extensive private aviation lessons in the early 80’s, John Rosatti decided to purchase a Leer 35, then a Challenger 600. After many years with Net Jets, Johns most recent purchase is a Gulfstream 4, a plane he named N1JR. Today, the N1JR name has been appropriately transferred to John Rosatti’s new Gulfstream G400 (www.n1jr.com), a private jet that has no equal in performance or luxury in its class. Not content to only play in the skies, John Rosatti is also the proud owner of the 162-foot super-luxury Christiansen mega yacht, Remember When (www.myrememberwhenyacht.com), the last of a series of 15 boats he built. Unparalleled in its extravagantly-appointed custom-designed interior, this stunning megayacht is where John spends much of his time managing his multiple business ventures, as well as seeing the world with his family and friends. When he makes it back to his home in Palm Beach County, Florida, you’ll find John cruising in one of his two brand new Rolls-Royce Ghosts, both of which are, of course, customized to the hilt.
Despite the time and energy it takes to run multiple nationwide businesses, John Rosatti also manages to be actively involved in charitable causes - giving back to the organizations close to his heart. Three such organizations include The American Heart Association, the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, and the Foundation for Cancer Research. In addition, education is extremely important to John, and in 2002, he pledged $1,000,000 to fund the John Rosatti Library and Media Center to The Benjamin School.
John Rosatti is the proud father of three children. His son, Adam is the CEO of Plaza Auto Mall, his eldest daughter, Angela is Managing Director of his restaurants Vic & Angelo’s & The Office Delray and his daughter, Crystal is working in the non-profit sector in Providence, Rhode Island. John Rosatti currently resides in Palm Beach County, Florida with his longtime girlfriend, Zuzana Kovacova. Zuzana has taken charge of interior design projects including various properties, boats & planes. To this day, you’ll find John continuing to live by his family’s mantra: Always work hard, always keep your word, and always be good to people.