An Interview With Martita Mestey
Keeping up with moments in time and trends: Be on the lookout for what is new and keep learning in the industry.
As a part of our series called “5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Food or Beverage Brand”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Frank DiMattina.
Frank “Food Boss” DiMattina is a self-taught chef, restaurant/catering operator, and businessman of his brand, Food Boss. About Frank “Food Boss” DiMattina: Frank “Food Boss” DiMattina can usually be found in the kitchen. A self-taught chef, restaurant/catering operator, and businessman, Frank was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in the culinary industry. Frank has worked in hospitality since he was a teen working in his family’s restaurants, including the acclaimed Italian eatery, Mark Frank’s in lower Manhattan. For 25 years Frank has owned and operated Ariana’s South, a modern banquet venue hosting all events. Frank shares the experience of cooking in a lively, fun environment with his Food Boss series of videos featuring his popular dishes for friends and family. To date, Frank’s videos have received millions of views and continue to gain popularity and inspire and entertain the foodie community across all ages and demographics — including receiving celebrity attention. In addition to managing and operating his catering venues, traveling for culinary inspiration, spending time with his family, filming Food Boss videos, and working on his Food Boss brand, Frank supports several nonprofit organizations and community food drives. With his passion for food and increased demand from his followers, Frank now sells online and in local stores.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
Growing up in a traditional Italian family and household, cooking and enjoying good food was something of second nature. Belonging to a family with generations of culinary heritage, cooking and the creation process was something I grew very passionate about. Surrounding myself with family and food during my early ages made it somewhat easy for me to decide on my career path. It’s important to love what you do and do what you love. Aside from the cooking and love for food in my blood, it truly makes me happy to see everyone enjoying my dishes.
Can you share with us the story of the “ah ha” moment that led to the creation of the food or beverage brand you are leading?
My family and I are very close and we share the love of cooking and eating good meals together. When my son Frank Jr. suggested I share my meals and enthusiasm on social media he started posting on TikTok, people automatically tuned in and related to the comedic relief of my family as well as the delicious dishes created. By posting it on TikTok, we were able to reach a wide audience that was unimaginable to me, and that is when I definitely felt that “ah ha” moment. I was posting my passion on a platform for individuals to not only learn from but to enjoy with a smile on their face. During such a time when people needed a good laugh and a pick me up, being able to provide a smile for those watching at home made me overjoyed. Since 2021 my TikTok has grown significantly giving me a platform to share recipes as well as come out with my own product line. People were loving the dishes I created and were so interested in what ingredients, dishware, and more I was using. I knew having this large of an audience no better way to give back to those following me and supporting my journey was to create my own line of products for those to enjoy in the comfort of their own home.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When starting something new, there always come obstacles. It’s important to embrace those obstacles and come out on the other side. Learning from mistakes is something I value and I continue to teach my kids that. A funny mistake that I’ve made in my career is that I made a dish telling the customer it was chicken parmigiana when in turn it was veal parmigiana. I went to ask if he liked it and he said it was the best chicken he ever had. The lesson is don’t get too caught up in perfection because sometimes a little mistake isn’t so bad.
What are the most common mistakes you have seen people make when they start a food or beverage line? What can be done to avoid those errors?
The most common mistakes I have seen some people make when they start a food or beverage line is not doing enough market research, locating your target market, and reaching the correct audience. These errors can be avoided with thorough research and trial and error. In order to produce and stand out in the market, it’s important to have patience and passion. Having a loyal fan base, I want to produce products that they would enjoy in the comfort of their own homes. I value their feedback and I am always looking for consumer insights to better my products. This common mistake can be overlooked for some other brands on the market, but for me personally I ensure I am always connecting and listening to my consumers. Good relationships lead to better destinations.
Let’s imagine that someone reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to produce. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
When starting something new, there are a few steps that need to be taken in order to be successful. A few that I would like to call out that have helped me throughout my career have been ensuring you are 110% in it and passionate because there will be some hiccups in the road. If you are not willing to face these challenges and move past certain obstacles, it can be difficult to succeed. Think of yourself as a brand and how you want to be perceived. Doing research is another key finding when it comes to success. An additional step that I suggest taking is don’t be afraid to evolve. The industry is constantly changing and an abundance of trends arise.
Many people have good ideas all the time. But some people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. How would you encourage someone to overcome this hurdle?
When having a good idea that you are passionate about, starting a business should come relatively easy. If you put love and time into this business idea, you are most likely going to see success before your eyes. It’s important to be aware when creating a business that it is a marathon, not a sprint. Putting your ideas out and working to build them up takes time and patience and is something people need to understand to overcome any hurdle face.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I am a believer in going after what you want. That’s not to say a development consultant would be beneficial. Using your imagination, creativity, and connections to think up something big brings joy to me.
For me and my passion, I like to do things on my own and work hard to see a result. If this product is your own, hiring a development consultant may take some drive. I also have a team that I collaborate with for ideas and direction and my family and I work closely on all ideas.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
For me personally, I was taught to do things on my own and if I want it to go get it. Although you may face obstacles in the early stages of your career when bootstrapping, it all becomes worth it once you see the success. To decide on either one, the best thing to do is to weigh out the pros and cons for yourself and your business — see what is important to you, what you can live with or without, and go from there.
Can you share thoughts from your experience about how to file a patent, how to source good raw ingredients, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer or distributor?
When Food Boss took off, it was important to me to stay true to who I am and be my authentic self. Everything surrounding the Food Boss name and my videos has remained the same since the beginning.
When it comes to sourcing good raw ingredients, ensure extensive research is done. Finding the best, high-quality ingredients takes time but is key to creating successful and high-quality products. Trial and error can be frustrating, but it’s important to keep testing your recipe with different ingredients until you are more than happy with the outcome. You have to ask yourself questions like “Will this ingredient be available during all seasons? Is there enough inventory on it?” so on and so forth.
Sourcing a good manufacturer is similar in this fashion. Researching manufacturers you trust is essential when it comes to producing products.
I’ve been lucky enough to sell my products in retail stores. Aside from our online presence, Food Boss is being showcased on the shelves in Italian delicacy stores and retailers. When finding the perfect retailer/distributor it’s all about understanding their values and what other items they stock their shelves with.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Food or Beverage Brand” and why?
- Passion: Love what you do and it will not feel like work.
- Patience: There are always countless obstacles and challenges to be faced; the real winners keep pushing and have patience to succeed and do not give up.
- Networking: As they say, it’s all about who you know — keep growing your connections as this is important to grow.
- Keeping up with moments in time and trends: Be on the lookout for what is new and keep learning in the industry.
- Innovativeness: Keep on evolving, valuing consumers and feedback producing high-quality products.
Can you share your ideas about how to create a product that people really love and are ‘crazy about’?
When it comes to creating a product that people love and are crazy about, you have to first think of yourself. Are you selling an idea of something, or something tangible? Are you absolutely crazy about the product you are selling? Would you buy a million for yourself? If the answer is no, think of another product where the answer is YES! A million times over. It all starts with you — if you do not believe in your product, no one else will.From there, create a different, authentic product specific to your taste and specialty. How do you want to be perceived? What is your end goal?
Once you create one staple product, you will find yourself thinking of more products that fall into that category and complement your original recipe or product. Being that there are countless staples in Italian cuisines, I knew I wanted to expand my product line for my consumers at home.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
In Italian culture, happiness revolves around food and family gatherings at the dinner table. I have used my success to make the world a better place by bringing my family recipes to your family home, uniting families to eat, cook, and spend time together. Food brings families to the table. Since the 2021, I am proud to say I have reached a large audience and have brought joy to those of all ages.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I’d hope to inspire people young and old to go after what they are passionate about. To always pay it forward, you ever know how one little act of kindness can change someone’s life.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Frank “Food Boss” DiMattina On 5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Food or Beverage Brand was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.