Marc Fugaro is the newest addition to our Tri-State team, but is no stranger to the industry. We are excited to have him and his expertise in the office and out in the field.
We asked him a few questions for you all to get to know him a little more!
What was your inspiration behind choosing to work in the food service and hospitality industry?
When I was 6 years old and asked my mom to make breakfast for me. I asked for French Toast, Bacon, and scrambled eggs. My mom said, “I will show you how to make it, instead of cooking it for you.” So, I scrambled the eggs, put the bacon in the oven, and made the French Toast batter. Then cooked the French Toast in a cast iron skillet. Once everything was made my mom proceeded to eat half of my breakfast and said, You, made this better than I did!” That may have been true, but I thought I could be good at cooking for people. My grandmother was a big influence on showing me how to make a pie from scratch and soup. I loved how she could make you feel better with a home cooked meal. I always ended up in the kitchen and never left.
Tell us a little bit about your background in the industry:
I started out at 14 working for a family friend who owned a local restaurant and ice cream shop. I was the dishwasher and worked on cleaning the entire property. Including the parking lot and bathrooms. After a year or two I was able to move up to the kitchen and start as a short order cooking making about 8 dollars an hour. Once there I wanted to continue to learn more about food. I attended Johnson & Wales University after high school and completed a 4-year degree in Culinary Science. The highlight of my time there besides meeting my wife, was the month I spent in France learning about their culture and the week I spent at a 3 Michelin start restaurant. Once I graduated, I went to work for Compass Group in their Chartwells division, where I worked in colleges and universities for 10 years. I held every management position from chef to director of dining services.
Then I decided I wanted to do more for chefs and operators to find ways to make their lives easier while at work. So, I started looking for a position where I could use my talents as a chef and have an impact on chefs. I found RATIONAL in 2015. I spent 5 years as a Regional Sales Manager and 2 years as a Senior Sales Manager. It was such a rewarding role where I met so many wonderful people to work with. Plus, I was able to help chefs use technology to improve their quality of life at work. While at RATIONAL I was also able to have my daughter and experience a whole new level of life I did not expect. She challenges me every day in a good way.
What do you love most about selling equipment and supplies?
I love being able to look at a space and work with a client to help them find ways to be more efficient. When you can take a tough job and make it easier or simpler it is very rewarding. I also like the fact that I have walked in the clients’ shoes before. So, I know what they are going through. And when they experience some of the solutions, we provide you can see the impact of our help. It never gets old and gets me up every day to help someone else.
What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
I love to go to the park with my daughter and spending time outdoors with her. I love watching Formula One racing and spending time with my dad talking about the races and all things cars. I love to cook for my family and friends. It makes me so happy when they tell me what I made “hit the spot”.
Contact Marc by email at Marc@Tri-StateMarketing.com !