Management Team / Advisory Board Bios
Milka and Romeo Regalli
Founder/Executive Chef
Founder Milka Regalli grew up in the restaurant industry- quite literally. As a child of a single parent who at the time couldn’t afford babysitting services, she would run around recklessly throughout her moms establishment. Years later, as a young adult who wanted to emulate everything that her mother did, she began shadowing her, working behind the scenes and learning the ropes. Milka jumped on the opportunity to manage the restaurant, honing her skills for an even greater task- taking over the family’s failing Brooklyn establishment with her husband. It was a combination of their culinary and managerial skills as well as hard work that allowed the business to thrive and become a premier destination for Ethiopian cuisine in downtown Brooklyn.Excutive chef/founder Romeo Regalli attended school in Paris, France and began a career in the hospitality industry directly after he managed a bar and night club called Charlotte and Treplay in the heart of Paris. Nonetheless, his love of food began much earlier in his mom’s kitchen, where he spent most of his days helping her prepare food for family and friends. After his time at Charlotte and Treplay, he then moved to New York City, where he continued working as a manager at Awash, an Ethiopian restaurant located on 945 Amsterdam Avenue, the same location where he met his wife. In fact, his mother-in-law and owner of Awash had another location in Brooklyn that was in the verge of closing. He and his wife took over the restaurant from her mother and increased revenue by 300+%. Romeo’s 10+ years of industry experience will be crucial for the successful operations of Ras. As a result of his past experience and success, the establishment will be properly managed from the start and will grow synergistically from there.