Episode 596: From Baseball Dreams to Pizza & Purpose: The Story of Sean Marsiglia

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Wil interviews Sean Marsiglia, an entrepreneur who owns several restaurants in Tampa, including Three Brothers Pizza, and other ventures such as a bagel shop and a baseball facility. Sean shares his journey from a promising baseball career cut short by injury to working at Chili’s, becoming an accountant, and eventually taking the entrepreneurial leap into the restaurant industry. He speaks candidly about the challenges of starting with minimal resources, living on a business partner’s couch, and hustling door-to-door to make his first restaurant a success. Sean also shares insights on building culture in his businesses, dealing with crises like a devastating fire, his commitment to community engagement through initiatives like feeding school children and first responders, and his broader entrepreneurial philosophy of saying “yes” to opportunities and figuring things out along the way.

Key Takeaways:

• Early Hospitality Experience: Sean began his hospitality career at Chili’s after a baseball injury ended his sports trajectory.
  
  
• Accounting & Business Acumen: His background in accounting and working with restaurant finances gave him a strong foundation for ownership.
  
  
• Entrepreneurial Leap: In 2015, he purchased his first pizzeria in Tampa for $20,000, relying heavily on credit and personal hustle to get the business off the ground.
  
  
• Relentless Hustle: Sean embraced a “say yes and figure it out” mentality, living on a couch and knocking on doors to drive early success.
  
  
• Fire & Recovery: A 2020 fire shut down his flagship store for 31 months, but business interruption insurance and resilience kept the business alive.
  
  
• Community Focus: He has implemented pay-it-forward programs, fed thousands of children during COVID, and routinely supports police, firefighters, and hospitals.
  
  
• Culture over Talent: Sean prioritizes hiring people with good attitudes and building a strong, positive team culture over purely skill-based hires.
  
  
• Networking & Opportunities: Leveraging relationships (e.g., with local athletes and influencers) has opened doors for new ventures.
  
  
• Diversification: Beyond pizzerias, Sean runs a bagel shop, a baseball facility, and even sells Christmas trees, embracing creative revenue streams.
  
  
• Independent Mindset: He avoids private equity and investor involvement to maintain independence and stay true to his values.
  
  
• Marketing Philosophy: Sean favors community-driven and relationship-based marketing over traditional advertising.
  
  
• Shared Values with Schedulefly: He appreciates Schedulefly’s customer-first approach and non-corporate ethos, aligning with his own business philosophy.