Rising Stars: Meet Paul Barraco of Milford

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Barraco.

Hi Paul, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My brother and I moved to Milford Ohio from Miami Florida in the 90’s. After working in multiple dining establishments around Cincinnati we decided to come back to Milford and open up the Governor modern diner in January of 2020, 5 weeks before Covid restrictions. We pulled through and thrived and once we opened back up to full service the restaurant flourished. We were featured on diners drive ins and dives. We also received a ton of local acclaim. In November of 2024 we opened up flamingo drive, a nod to our upbringing in Miami. We serve dishes and drinks inspired by the vibrant cultures of our hometown. Both restaurants are doing great and we are very happy to be in Milford. I am the chef and my brother runs the front of the house along with a team of fantastic people. We love what we do

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Opening up the governor right before Covid was crazy. Shutting down the inside of the restaurant, we focused on daily dinner specials and lots of DORA slushees for people to socially distance in a fun way. We managed to keep our full staff so reopening was easy for us. Also opening up flamingo drive during one of the worst winters in memory was tough, but running restaurants in general is. We are always trying to find ways to stay on top and be better than we were before

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At the diner and at Flamingo drive we focus on interns food spun through a Midwest palate. We try to use lots of local farms and ingredients and constantly stay interesting and engaging with our customer base

How do you think about happiness?
Hosting people is the best. Feeding them, seeing them enjoy there time with friends and family in your space is truly special. And working with so many employees that have been with us since day one!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Governordiner.com
• Instagram: Governordiner
• Facebook: The Governor