Innovative, Farm-Fresh Cuisine

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Marc McDowell, owner, and executive chef of 62 MarcKet, located in Kihei, HI, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We have a restaurant made from scratch that focuses on seasonality; thus, we change the menu every 62 days. Our customers are mostly locals who know they will have an enjoyable dining experience. We are blessed to be living here in Maui. We have the best fish available and unbelievable produce. We partner with many local farms who make sure we are supplied with the season's best offerings.

Tell us about yourself

Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, growing up enjoying great steaks and produce like sweet corn. I graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. I wanted to live on Maui and learn to grow things that I had been using in the kitchens. I am a Certified Master Gardener and enjoy growing things. Smiling satisfied guests motivate me each day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We opened our doors in December of 2019, and three months later, COVID-19 changed the world we live in, destroying lives and many businesses. Our biggest accomplishment is getting through that first two years of business during the COVID-19 pandemic and still being in business today.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Anything that comes hard will eventually become your strength. I realized that there were so many more expenses to account for that I never thought about when dreaming up opening a restaurant, such as an employee payroll taxes and how they work, work comp, temporary disability insurance, credit card processing fees, payroll processing fees, they all add up!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Write a good business plan, make sure you have adequate funding for life's twists and turns, don't let anyone tell you it won't work, get a different banker who will believe in you.

Know what you are doing and be able to perform all jobs within the business, so at the end of the day, if you are the only one working at your business, at least the company is being run correctly. Hire someone who is great with social media and stay out of their way.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.sixtytwomarcket.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sixtytwomarcket/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.