The restaurant industry can be notoriously tough on newcomers, but don’t tell that to Michael Curcio. He could care less, just as his father did when he made a name for himself in the tire industry.
Twenty-nine-year-old Michael Curcio is the CEO and founder of South Florida-based Pyrogrill, a fast-casual restaurant concept specializing in “Mix? entrees featuring a mix of fresh-grilled chicken, steak or fish with crisp greens and signature sauces. Based on the outstanding success of its restaurant in Jupiter, Fla., Pyrogrill recently launched a franchising program for what is expected to become one of the hottest, fastest-growing and most profitable fast-casual concepts in the country.
Developing successful businesses is nothing new to the Curcio family. Chuck Curcio – Michael’s father, who sits on Pyrogrill’s board of directors along with Blimpie Subs founder Tony Conza – is the founder of Tire Kingdom. The elder Curcio started the company at a farmer’s market in 1972 and grew it into one of the nation’s largest independent tire dealers before retiring in 1996.
“To me, everything starting out was going to be tough,? Michael Curcio said of the challenges he faced when Pyrogrill was founded in 2001. “I just decided to do something that I enjoy.?
Curcio is not only doing something he enjoys, he’s doing it well. Estimated sales at Pyrogrill’s Jupiter, Fla., location are expected to reach $1.1 million in 2006. Same-store sales have increased an average of 43 percent over the last three years.
Backed by its reputation for offering outstanding food and customer service at reasonable prices, Pyrogrill is looking to open 15 to 25 franchised locations throughout the country in 2007, primarily in the Southeast.
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