They Thought It Was a Joke, But It’s Making $3.2 Million

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:49:50 +0000

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From pizza delivery drivers to restaurant empire builders, Frank and Mary's story proves that sometimes the craziest ideas lead to the biggest wins. After losing her HR job during COVID, Mary launched a successful cookie dough business from home. But it was their wild idea of opening a build-your-own macaroni bar in a tiny 200-square-foot food hall space that changed everything.

With zero capital and armed with just a credit card, this restaurant owner duo turned their creative concept into a viral sensation. Despite initial skepticism about their unconventional toppings (pineapple on mac and cheese, anyone?), they transformed negative social media buzz into pure marketing gold.

Today, their restaurant business has exploded into a nationwide franchise phenomenon with 47 locations in development and a social media following of over 1 million. Their secret? Listening to critics, constantly improving their product, and mastering the art of social media marketing and automation.

In this episode, Frank shares how they scaled from a small food hall spot to a booming franchise, their innovative approach to social media marketing, and why sometimes the riskiest business decisions yield the biggest rewards. Plus, learn their practical tips for aspiring restaurant owners on turning minimal resources into maximum success.

Learn to make your business viral. Get access to Frank’s step-by-step blueprint 👉 https://www.upflip.com/course/viral-marketing

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🎓 Join UpFlip Academy to “copy-paste” the top million-dollar service businesses you can start in weeks and profit from in months - https://links.upflip.com/academy-yt

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👉 Own a viral mac and cheese bar - https://links.upflip.com/4485boM

Timestamps:
00:00 - Start
00:39 - Welcome to the OG location!
01:31 - Management is just “another” skill
02:19 - Secret to raising tickets
03:06 - Profit margins
03:48 - Familiar with a twist
04:30 - Fail fast, learn fast!
05:16 - The “F me up” bowl
05:57 - Let’s make Paul’s order!
07:04 - Startup costs
08:33 - Bon appétit!
09:04 - Boom… we’re viral!
10:55 - Fan blitz
13:15 - Money IS everywhere
14:25 - Revenue breakdown
16:02 - Business is the only path
17:04 - The growth mindset
17:41 - New flagship store reveal
18:19 - Big mom-and-pop costs
19:01 - Overhead and revenue
19:53 - Major takeaways from a tiny space
20:54 - So, why franchise?
21:57 - 50 franchises (and counting!)
22:35 - No to buyer’s remorse!
23:22 - Don’t forget to check your OKRs
24:04 - Getting paid to market?!
24:49 - Locking attention is just step 1
26:32 - Daily content creation
28:43 - From delivering pizzas to owning restaurants
29:20 - Personal salary
30:25 - Focus on scalability
31:17 - Do it! It’s just a numbers game.
32:46 - Secret to working (effectively) as a couple
33:28 - Set a goal and nab that first mil
34:15 - Book recommendation
34:46 - Never sleep on split-testing
35:42 - Pricing as a universal variable
36:24 - Easy to repeat, easy to grow
37:02 - Happy employees = Happy customers
38:29 - Surprise turns
39:08 - Spotting winning locations
40:32 - Record. Fail. Repeat. Viral.
41:17 - Virality is a numbers game
42:19 - Working around stress
43:36 - A whole grape or a watermelon slice?
44:28 - Anything you want, you can have!
45:11 - Outro