Coconuts Fish Cafe, the Kīhei restaurant known for its fish tacos, has named Mark Mattos as its new regional director of operations. Mattos joined the company in February, bringing more than 15 years of hospitality leadership to the business.

Mattos was born and raised in Wailuku, where his family has deep roots in the island community. He grew up working on his family’s ranch in Kahakuloa. He attended St. Anthony School, continuing a family tradition that spans four generations, before earning degrees in Culinary Arts and Pastry Arts from the University of Hawai‘i Maui College in 2011.

Then, Mattos worked his way through some of Maui kitchens: cook at Montage Kapalua Bay, chef de partie at Capiche and Spago, sous chef at Kāʻanapali Beach Hotel and executive chef at Mākena Golf & Beach Club, where he spent more than a decade and eventually rose to lead the kitchen.

“I started as a cook and worked my way through just about every role in the kitchen before becoming an executive chef,” Mattos said. “Every step taught me something, and a lot of it came from watching good people do their jobs well. I try to bring that same attention to the details of daily operations, and to keeping a team motivated and focused.”

Over more than 15 years, Mattos has managed multimillion-dollar budgets, vendor contracts, scheduling systems, compliance programs and training initiatives. At Mākena Golf & Beach Club, he helped build one of the property’s most stable, highest-performing teams and introduced process changes that reduced waste and lifted guest satisfaction scores along the way.

“My colleagues would probably say I’m steady under pressure and that I follow through on what I say I’ll do,” he said. “I care about developing people. The best operations leaders I’ve learned from set clear expectations, give their teams structure, and take the time to coach people along the way.”

Mattos said he’s looking forward to growing within a business that has been part of the Maui community for more than 17 years. He sees local businesses like Coconuts as the backbone of Maui’s economy.

As a fourth generation Maui resident, his appreciation for local business and community involvement was formed early on. Throughout his career, he has supported local schools, fundraisers, and community organizations, including helping organize meals, cook food and secure donations for relief efforts after the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.

Coconuts welcomes island residents with a 15% kamaʻāina discount with a valid ID at both its Kamaole and Azeka locations. Happy hour is twice a day from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., featuring $4 draft beer and house wine and $8 appetizers.

With Mattos now guiding operations, Coconuts is looking toward new locations and continued growth on Maui. He’s also back in the kitchen developing new menu items — building on the flavors guests already love while bringing more depth to the food. That evolution is already underway at both locations, with more still to come.

Outside of work, Mattos spends his time hunting, hiking, and cooking for family and friends, often exploring the island with his golden retriever, Toby.