Johnny C. Carrabba III

Born and raised in Houston’s East End, Johnny Carrabba III grew up working in his family’s Carrabba’s Friendly Grocery on Navigation Boulevard before attending St. Thomas High School, class of 1977. On December 26, 1986, he and his uncle Damian Mandola ’71 opened the original Carrabba’s Italian Grill on Kirby Drive with just $500 in the register, 94 seats, seven barstools, and family recipes passed down from his grandmother Grace Mandola’s kitchen.

What started as a single neighborhood Italian restaurant quickly became a Houston institution. A second location on Voss Road followed in 1988, and a joint venture with Outback Steakhouse in 1993 expanded the Carrabba’s name to over 250 locations nationwide. Johnny retained ownership of the two original Houston locations and in 2021 bought out his remaining interest in the national chain to focus on his family of restaurants — the two original Carrabba’s, Grace’s on Kirby (named for his grandmother), and seven Mia’s Table locations (named for his daughter).

Johnny and Damian co-hosted the PBS cooking series “Cucina Amore” and co-authored three companion “Ciao” cookbooks. A founding board member of the Upper Kirby District, Johnny remains a daily presence in his restaurants — carrying on a Sicilian-Texan culinary legacy that stretches back to the Mandola family’s arrival in Houston in 1912.