Antonio Cagnolo is the founder of Ostentus and a member of its Advisory Board.

A legendary restaurateur and a cultural ambassador for Italy in the United States (US), Antonio is the founder and owner of Orange County’s Antonello Ristorante (1979) and Quattro Caffe (1991).

Antonio brings to Ostentus an unparalleled record of responsible entrepreneurialism and community philanthropy that has earned him the admiration and respect of the Orange County community.

Antonio was born in Bistagno, a small farming town in the Piemonte wine country of Northwest Italy known for Barolo wines. His family spent his childhood in the coastal region from Ventimiglia to Savona also known as the Italian Riviera. Antonio’s education in hotel and restaurant management took place in Torino, Italy, and was followed by work for the Intercontinental Hotels in Germany. Antonio also worked in the United Kingdom (UK) on the Isle of Jersey and in London, most notably, at the Royal Garden Hotel.  He also spent summers working in Monte Carlo at the Hotel de Paris.  After working in the UK and Monte Carlo, Antonio worked for Sitmar Cruise Lines in the Caribbean, South America and the Mexican Riviera adding Spanish to the to the list of languages he speaks fluently: Italian, French, German and English.

Antonio immigrated to the US in November 1975 taking a position as a captain at the Ambrosia Restaurant in Newport Beach which was known for bringing five-star quality dining to Orange County. Antonio left Ambrosia to become general manager at Alfredo’s restaurant in the Westin Hotel where he met the late Orange County developer and philanthropist, Henry Segerstrom, who encouraged him to start his own restaurant which led to the establishment of Antonello Ristorante at South Coast Plaza which is known to this day for providing the highest quality Italian cuisine.

Antonio also spearheaded the development of Planet Hollywood South Coast Plaza, the Armani cafés in Beverly Hills, South Coast Plaza and Boston, and the L’Opera Ristorante locations in Long Beach, Austin, Albuquerque and Orlando.  

With William Graff, Antonio founded and owns Kitty Wines International (“KWI”). Founded in 2015, KWI is the licensee of Sanrio – Hello Kitty wine, sake and food products in the US, Canada and the Caribbean. Since its inception, KWI has generating in US more than $100 million in sales through a retail network of over 3,500 locations.. Antonio is also a successful real estate investor with property investments in California and South Carolina.

In recognition of contribution to the promulgation of Italian culture in the US, Antonio was knighted in 2022 as a Cavaliere dell Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic).

Antonio has extensive involvement with both business development activities and charitable endeavors in Orange County so his presence on the Advisory Board brings a wealth of knowledge in these areas and access to his extensive network of business, celebrity, political and philanthropic leaders in Orange County and Italy.