We recently had the chance to connect with Mario Brugnoli and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Mario , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I usually wake up to the sound of my wife and baby getting their day started. I get out of bed and go to give them a kiss and play with Roman my 16 month year old for a few minuets then get dressed and ready. Grab a yogurt and head to work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Mario Brugnoli and I’m the chef/owner of a breakfast and lunch cafe in downtown St. Petersburg Florida. My cafe has 25 total seats with 4 employees including myself..My GM and my sou chef both worked with me since I was 18 years old at my first cooking job. We are a small but mighty team! We are currently building a back patio to grow our seating to 40. We are very proud of the fact at almost 2 years of being open we still have a 5 star rating on Google. That’s what we are most proud of and the fact we have a good work environment to live in daily!
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The first year I spent alone from 18-19 really shaped how I saw the world and perceive things. Losing my parents and having to live on my own at 18, I had to learn how to navigate life by watching how people treat you and how friends take advantage of you, and jobs/bosses doing the same.
Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
I had a food writer come into my restaurant and sit down with me for an hour to talk. We talked about everything including my concept, my goals, my future. She’s also a part time cook as well and she asked if she could come in and stage to get more of a grasp on the restaurant and myself. Unlike most writers, every single thing I said, you could tell in her writing she took the time to elaborate and give details and tell the true story behind me and my restaurant. Even while working for free, she listened to everything I was telling my team and incorporated that into her store. She really took the time to get to know me, understand my past, and truly listen me.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
They would say truly being a good person matters the most to me, helping others see they have a future no matter their past. And lastly my family, my wife and son Roman!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop being away from my son. I would quit work and stay home with him 7 days a week.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eatartlovestpete.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatartlove_stpete?igsh=MTl3NHpjNmc4bjJuMA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FahM7FXm3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/0iqpW9F48f
