DORJAN PUKA

CEO

Born and raised in Albania, Dorjan Puka moved to Connecticut in 1998 seeking new experiences and opportunities. Leveraging his culinary talent and strong work ethic, Puka worked his way up in various kitchens in the region including Vito’s by the Park, Max’s Oyster Bar and Max’s Tavern in Springfield, Massachusetts.

In December of 2010, Puka opened his first solo venture, Treva Restaurant & Bar, an Italian concept in West Hartford. The restaurant was unlike anything in the area and garnered great reviews from The Hartford Courant, Connecticut Magazine and The New York Times. This success was mirrored with his second West Hartford restaurant Àvert Brasserie, which opened three years later in 2013. That same year, Hartford Magazine named Puka one of the top 10 chefs in the region. In November of 2014, Puka opened Artisanal Burger Company in Manchester. Once again, Puka was praised by media and locals alike, this time for his take on America’s beloved hamburger.

Puka’s culinary passion extends beyond the restaurants. He is actively involved with Growing Great Schools, a non-profit community-based organization that helps create healthier schools. When not in his restaurants, Chef Dorjan enjoys traveling with his wife and his two sons.

SCOTT MILLER

COO

Raised in Woodbridge, Connecticut, Scott Miller worked his way through the kitchens of some of Connecticut’s finest restaurants

After spending time cooking in Colorado as the Chef of McCormick’s Fish House & Bar and The Millennium Resort in Boulder, Miller headed back to his home state of Connecticut in 2004 where he was hired as Executive Chef at Max’s Oyster Bar in West Hartford. In this role, Miller was responsible for overseeing menu development as well as the culinary team, which included then Sous Chefs Dorjan Puka and David Sudol. Also while in this role, Miller started the award winning Max’s Chef to Farm Program in 2009. Capitalizing on his ability to create unique and memorable experiences, Miller accepted the role of Managing Partner of Max Catering & Events where he worked alongside chefs, managers and staff to localize catering fare delivering outstanding events to their guests.

In 2015, Miller partnered with Dorjan Puka combining their experience, expertise, and vision to form Doro Restaurant Group. Together, they have opened distinct restaurants across Connecticut. As Chief Operating Officer and Partner of DORO Restaurant Group, Miller works hand-in-hand with all employees and managers to ensure that each guest is provided with exceptional hospitality.

Some of Millers’ favorite accomplishments are rapping on stage with The Sugarhill Gang, Winning multiple awards from his peers in The CT Restaurant Association including Best Chef, Best Caterer and Best Restaurateur, as well as training many dishwashers and cooks that have gone on to be great Chefs & Restaurateurs.

Miller sits on the Board of Directors of The Connecticut Restaurant Association. Miller resides in West Hartford with his wife Marcy and children, Simon & Amelia.

MIRA PUKA

CFO

Photo & Bio. coming soon

DAVE SUDOL

Food & Beverage Controller

One of Dave’s earliest memories as a child was cooking Pierogies with his grandfather. As a Chef Restaurateur, Dave’s grandfather would give sage advice to his kin, steering them away from the restaurant business. This led Dave in a different initial career direction. 

After graduating from UCONN with a degree in Marketing, Dave worked for an engineering company doing market research.  While sitting at a desk for six straight weeks, Dave realized this was not the life for him and enrolled in the Connecticut Culinary Institute.  Dave got his foot in the door as a prep cook at Max Amore and continued to evolve his skills through various positions in the Back of House, eventually leading the Team at Max Burger as the Executive Chef. 

“What I have realized over my career that this business is in my blood, handed down to me from my grandfather despite his warnings”, Dave articulates.  He is an avid golfer, enjoys home improvements and spending time with his wife and two daughters. 

MIA ALLEN

Director of Catering and Events

Born and raised in a family of chefs, florists, party planners and caterers- events have always been a major part of Mia’s work and personal life. As her career and passion intertwined, Mia continued to build her resume with the Max Restaurant Group (Hartford, CT) working various positions within the Catering and Events sector. Mia became versed Managing for nonprofit organizations, running fundraisers, conferences and large format corporate meetings. She loves taking ideas and making them come to life- sharing in the joy and excitement of special and unique experiences.

It’s no surprise that Mia once thought she would become a teacher (she’s a natural group leader!)  She loves adventures- like when she visited Cape Town, South Africa; is an avid scrapbooker and is obsessed with her pointer rescue, Izzy. 

JAMES ARENA

Executive Pastry Chef

Hospitality, fine dining, and art have always been a part of Chef James's life. His first job was a busboy at a small family-owned Italian restaurant, by age 16 the seed of appreciation for good food and guest experience was planted. It’s an atmosphere that James is still in love with today. James’ initial plan was to go to art school for illustration and design. While in high school a kitchen position had opened up where James learned garde manger skills and desserts. The excitement and fulfillment of working in a kitchen quickly made James realize cooking is an art form and his ideas of going to art school started to veer.  The transition from the dining room to the kitchen was when it became clear that he wanted to proceed with a life as a professional chef.

Thinking his culinary journey would be on the savory side of things he went to school at the Center for Culinary Arts. It didn’t take long for James to develop a fond obsession with the techniques of pastry, taking on pastries in kitchens around Connecticut. He continued his education at the French Culinary Institute in NYC to focus on chocolate. Self-driven and mainly self-taught, he grew his craft in some of Connecticut’s highest-acclaimed restaurants. Starting at the Polytechnic Club and that re-opened as ON20 restaurant with Chef Noel Jones in the Hartford Steam Boiler building. During this time, he learned his foundation for modern haut cuisine, modern techniques, dedication, and commitment. During his years at ON20, he honed his craft for fine artful experimental desserts. James continued his growth at Cavey’s in Manchester working with Chef Steve Cavagnero.  Working at Cavey’s taught the nuances of French and Italian cuisine, seasonality, and quality of ingredients while supporting local farms around Connecticut. Most recently he worked at Arethusa al Tavolo in Bantam, where he was able to combine his artful approach of finesse and seasonality.  While he was there he developed and opened the café Arethusa a mano, where he led an award-winning team for many years.