09/27/2026
The part of my story I didn’t get to tell… ❤️
When I shared my story about how I ended up in Hattiesburg and how Mario’s came to be, I left a lot out. Not because it wasn’t important, but because if I told the whole story, you would’ve been reading for a very long time. 😂
And one of the biggest things I left out was the people in this picture.
Papa Jeno, Mario, Frank, Alldo, and Tony.
My story may have explained how I got here, but Mario’s story was never mine alone.
Once those doors opened, every person standing in this picture played a part in helping us become what we are today. Some helped in ways people could see, and others in ways nobody would ever know about. There were long days, late nights, stressful moments, sacrifices, disagreements, laughs, and plenty of times when one of us had to step up for another.
That’s family. ❤️
And lately, after sharing my story, I’ve received so many messages, letters, phone calls, and people stopping me face to face just to tell me how much our story touched them and how happy they are that we’re here.
I can’t tell you how much that has meant to me.
Because when you support Mario’s, you’re not supporting some big company with people sitting in an office somewhere far away.
You’re supporting the people in this picture. You’re supporting our employees and their families. You’re supporting a family that has poured so much of its life into this place.
Every time you walk through our doors, tell somebody about us, share one of our posts, or take the time to write a few kind words about your experience, we see it. We read it. And believe me, it means more than you probably realize.
There are so many more chapters to our story, and maybe one day I’ll tell them all.
But today, I just wanted you to see some of the people who helped make Mario’s what it is.
From all of us, thank you for welcoming our family, believing in us, and allowing us to call Hattiesburg home. ❤️
This isn’t just where we opened a restaurant anymore.
This is home. ❤️🇮🇹
