Seamless Restaurant Owner Profile: Marc Mazzarulli of Opus 465, Three Little Pigs, and Souperman
The restaurant industry is a tough one. And NY Metro restaurant owner Marc Mazzarulli has gone through it with flying colors. With three successful restaurants in the New York Metro area, this born and bred restaurant professional dishes with The Delivery Bag and tells all about his three great restaurants, Opus 465, Three Little Pigs, and Souperman.
Name: Marc Mazzarulli
Occupation: Chef/Proprietor of Opus 465, Three Little Pigs, and Souperman
How did you get started in the restaurant industry? I grew up in this industry. I started in the food business when I was younger by operating snack bars and concession stands at pools.
What is one thing that would most surprise readers about running a restaurant? It is a constant 24 hour/7 days a week job. Even when you’re off, you’re not really off. You have to be very detail-oriented. Every single thing needs attention paid to — menus, tables, uniforms, etc.
What are your favorite/least favorite things about the restaurant business? A favorite is that every day will be different – New food and new people. There’s always the ability to grow, which is what we have done with Seamless. A downside is relying so heavily on other people. It’s also difficult to receive bad reviews, some people can be so critical of things.
How and when did you first hear about Seamless? About six years ago in a magazine article. I started researching it, but it took me about 2 years until we got started.
How has Seamless changed your business and how is it different from receiving phone orders? Receiving orders through the fax is a lot more efficient than taking orders — Less people involved, which means fewer mistakes. Seamless has changed the business by expanding us into areas that we hadn’t been able to break into before.
What are the differences between preparing a dish for takeout/delivery vs. preparing it for someone who is dining in? With takeout or delivery, there’s a lot more thought put into the dish – You have to know when to do things like add extra sauce, keeping it hot for transfer.
Lobster Corn Chowder at Opus 465
What’s your favorite thing on your menu? At Opus 465 we have a diverse menu – my motto is that our menu has something for everyone. My favorite item there is the Rigatoni Bolognese. At Three Little Pigs, my favorite dish is the Pulled Pork Platter with Macaroni & Cheese and Creamed Spinach as sides! Souperman was fun to create because we had to learn all the different names. My favorite soup is the New England Clam Chowder.
What’s your favorite restaurant to order from on Seamless (besides your own)? My Favorite Place and Kira Sushi.