Today we’d like to introduce you to Mario Hayek.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mario. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in the United States, I have Lebanese heritage and lived half my life in Ecuador, South America. I owned and operated a hotel, restaurants, a bar, travel agency and managed commercial real estate while being a full-time professor in Ecuador. I then came back to the US to obtain a Ph.D.; I currently am a professor and Head of the Management Department at Texas A&M-Commerce. When searching for a business to purchase, I came across Palio’s and loved their products so I decided to purchase the Plano location.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. While the Palio’s products seem to be loved by most, as evidenced by the success of the growing number of stores regionally, service was the weak point of the Plano location. During the past year, we have focused 100% on customer service and satisfaction while maintaining the quality of food that people love from Palio’s.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Palio’s is a growing regional Italian-style chain of independently-owned stores that specializes in gourmet pizzas, pastas, sandwiched and salads. There are four things that separate our Palio’s location from any other similar store:
1) Over the years Palio’s has developed a truly differentiated gourmet menu; for example, we have pizzas with pesto, BBQ, garlic butter and Alfredo sauces
2) Our patrons can customize any part of their meal such as having a gluten-free crust with half BBQ and half pesto sauce, light cheese and the ingredients of their liking;
3) We have an event room that is used for parties, business meetings/presentations etc. and
4) We pride ourselves on flexibility in delivering any request placed by our customers.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
The qualities that are necessary for success are understanding the needs of customers and proactively adjusting operations to satisfy their needs. As with any business, perseverance is necessary and most importantly, an entrepreneur in this line of business should have an innate desire to serve!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1941 Preston Rd #1004 Plano, TX 75093
- Website: http://www.paliospizzacafe.com/locations/plano/
- Phone: 972-407-9500
- Email: contact@paliospizzacafe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paliosplano/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paliosplano
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/paliosplano
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
