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Mark and Paul met in 2004 at Bahama Breeze. Mark had just relocated his family to Orlando to be the General Manager of the I Drive location, and Paul was his bar manager. From the very start, they were already more like brothers than friends. Days off, vacations, and days on the boat, both families eventually grew close too, and their kids grew up together. They both talked about starting their own restaurant.
Mark relocated to Las Vegas in 2007, but they stayed in touch. They could go months without talking, but then when they did it was as if no time passed, with them picking up where they left off. Mark and Paul still went on vacations in Orlando, and the pair continued to talk of starting something of “their own”. This plan was eventually realized when Mark got a text from Paul in August 2016 – he had quit his job.
At this point, Mark was overseeing 5 restaurants (each) in Las Vegas and LA. Paul flew to LA, where Mark introduced him to his favorite restaurants, some of which he enjoyed, and others where he didn’t. When the food fest was done, they went on a road trip back to Vegas while discussing the concept of their soon-to-be restaurant. They came up with three things: incredible food, remarkable service, and something that was easy to replicate. This led to the birth of the Island Fin Poke Company!
Mark's Las Vegas kitchen became the starting point of their poke. Friends and family gathered to taste test sauces. Over the course of a few months, their homemade sauces were finally created - fresh, delicious, and all gluten free.
Q: What is the biggest challenge you have met in your career?
Mark: The biggest challenge is always people. When I started my career, the world was very different. I was a kitchen manager and I made Gordon Ramsay look like a teddy bear. I remember my 30th birthday like it was yesterday. My director came into my restaurant and handed me a gift. It was the book "Brutal Bosses". I have never read the book. Just the fact that he cared enough to give it to me impacted me immensely. He changed my life and reshaped my career. From that point, I realized that time should be spent coaching and being a teacher, rather than a brutal boss. It is amazing how much further you can get when you treat the team with respect. That doesn't mean there isn't accountability, there’s always a give and take, and the standards must still be met.
Q: How you would describe your company culture, and what are the superpowers of your team?
Mark: The company culture here at Island Fin Poke Company is a culture of family. We have a huge graphic on the wall that says "Ohana, no friends just family" and we live by that. Family meals, closed holidays for family time, and always being welcoming to everyone.
I think the real superpower of the team is the ability for each and every team member to take the service mentality. The team engages the guest throughout their entire experience. No matter how big we get, we want to remain a neighborhood joint.
Q: What are some challenges or trends you see in hiring today?
Mark: The best thing about our concept is that for new hires, this is often their first job. Our concept is super simple and easy to execute. We pay well and the kids genuinely love their jobs and the money they make. We don't need to hire experienced and jaded long time restaurant people.
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Q: Who inspires you and why?
Mark: The greatest thing about this business is watching the team grow. I never wanted to be a teacher at all, but honestly the most important aspect of this job, especially in the growth mode we are in, is the education of the team. When we have the team trained properly to execute the concept, the guest experience is through the roof. The comments, the reviews, the reaction on our social media just gets me fired up. There are so many other options out there for the guest to spend their money on, and our job is to make them choose us.
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Q: How would you describe your leadership style?
Mark: Unfortunately, I am a perfectionist. It is tough in the restaurant business. but I see no reason why we should not strive to be perfect every day, every shift and for every guest. I am very hands-on - when I’m in one of our restaurants, I am very involved from prep to service to the overall guest experience. I like to be close to where the rubber meets the road. I like to hear from the guests and the team, to find out how we’re doing. We are in the position we are in to serve people.
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Q: Have you ever had an hourly job? If yes, please share with us your experience.
Mark: Heck yes. My first job was as a dishwasher at an Elias Brothers Big Boy in Cascade Michigan. I loved working and the independence having my own money gave me. I worked hard and in 30 days was promoted to cook. I was the youngest person this franchise had ever promoted to cook.
It was awesome. I was super lucky, my mom would let me work as much as I wanted as long as my grades were good. That also made my boss happy. My kids both work at Island Fin and I am tough on them. My 18 year old basically runs the place. Sysco orders, payroll, everything. I love it!
Hoping to create a power team that can provide a great customer experience? Schedule a chat with Workstream for more personalized tips on how to do so.
