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CEO, Mise en Place, Mise en Scene (event catering) First Flight and Sono Cafe at the Tampa Museum of Art
Tampa | Hospitality
Company: The year was successful for Mise en Place, an upscale restaurant, even if the business didn't see a spike in sales as it did the prior year when the Republican National Convention converged on Tampa. “We'd do a convention like that every summer if we could,” says Maryann Ferenc, who founded Mise En Place 27 years ago.
Business has been steadily improving at the restaurant and its related businesses, including First Flight, a wine bar at Tampa International Airport, she says. Ferenc expects sales to continue to grow in 2014. She declined to provide specific figures on revenue other than to say it's upward of $3 million and the business employs 75 to 100 people.
Industry: She expects the Tampa Bay-area hospitality industry to fare well in 2014, thanks in part to expected growth in international tourism with increased flights between Tampa International Airport and Central and South America.
“International travel is on a huge growth path,” she says. “There's a big focus on the state level and we are going to benefit from that. I think we can expect better things for 2014.”
Challenges for the industry include escalating costs related to insurance and energy, plus the continued cost of credit card transactional fees.
Marketing requires more focus and energy than in the past, with an increased emphasis on an online presence and a continued focus on building strong relationships and loyalty with clientele.
“That's still one of the most important things I do,” Ferenc says of relationship building.
Region: The local economy should prosper with increased tourism and the investment of international funds into the purchase of commercial real estate in the Bay area.
“Over the last three years we've become a much stronger entity as a region,” Ferenc says. “I think the second half of 2014 could be markedly better if we pay close attention and do the things we need to do. The international business — we have no idea what a big deal that will be for us.”
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