40 Years, 6 Restaurants, and Still Hungry
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40 Years, 6 Restaurants, and Still Hungry
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About this listen
In this episode of Staying Hungry, we sit down with veteran restaurateur Mark Boccia, whose journey from bussing tables at 16 to running six beloved NYC-area restaurants is nothing short of epic. For 40 years, Mark has thrived in the unforgiving hospitality industry - not by chasing trends, but by staying rooted in community, grit, and relentless curiosity.
We explore:
The real costs of hospitality (spoiler: it’s not just food).
How COVID didn’t just shift business models - it broke and rebuilt them.
The power of partnership, legacy, and reinvention.
Why "local" isn't just geography - it's philosophy.
And how Staying Hungry isn't just about food - it's a way of life.
This is more than a restaurant story. It’s a story about endurance, community, family, and doing meaningful work - every single day.
⏱️ Timestamps:
[00:00] Intro
[05:23] From Bussing Tables to Buying Buildings: Mark’s Origin Story
[12:47] Bourbon Street, Austin’s Ale House & the Rooftop Evolution
[24:15] Post-COVID Realities, Tech Disruption, and the Death of Cash
[30:55] Outro & Mark’s Advice for the Next Generation of Restaurateurs