Maryann Ferenc, Turning Talents Into Strengths

Most Tampa natives know of the restaurant Mise en Place and associates it as a city staple for fine dining. It remains clear that the restaurant’s success is due to the creativity, determination and most importantly the leadership of Maryann Ferenc.

Maryann Ferenc is the owner of, new modern american restaurant, Mise en Place, located just outside of Downtown Tampa. The restaurant first opened its doors as a catering company in 1986, and since, it has evolved as quickly as the Tampa Bay community. Mise en Place is now a 5-star rated fine dining restaurant and has been named by USA Today as #1 restaurant in the Bay Area.

Not only did Maryann Ferenc focus on growing her market within the United States, but also globally. She knew that owning a business in Florida meant that she needed to depend on thriving tourism in order to sustain and grow her business. With this being said, she became heavily involved with Visit Tampa Bay on a local level as well as a state level. This led her to the opportunity to sit on the travel and tourism advisory board of the US Travel Association. She now currently resides on the board of Brand US, which brands and markets the United States worldwide! Her success and expertise was actualized this past September of 2016, when Mise en Place was awarded Small Business of the Year from the Tampa Chamber of Commerce.

The fruit of Maryann’s labor can be seen not only at the flagship location, but also in locations such as the Amalie Arena and the Tampa International Airport. Furthermore, she maintains joint ventures with the Vinik organization, Delaware North, Superior Hospitality and Green Clay Concessions. With the creation of these partnerships Mise en Place Wine & Cafe was placed in the Amalie Arena and the anticipated (recreated) Mise en Place Café will be going in the Tampa International Airport. Mise en Place is a Tampa favorite but the famous Chef Emeril also plays a vital role in its success. In 2016, he had the opportunity to kick-off the beginning of his own television series at the restaurant!

“It all goes back to the question-What is the foundation of our business? And it’s really about our guests – what do you (the guests) need? What do you (the guests) want? What do you (the guests) need from us? And how can we serve you (the guests)? And serving others is the core of what’s kept us going all these years.” The words are put plain and simple by Maryann as she speaks about leadership and knowing your value at the Tampa Chamber of Commerce Luncheon.

“Alignment within the company is what helps you get through the tough times and allows you to really enjoy the good times,” she says. She continues, “and in a variety of forms that are: team/staff members, performing together aligning within the community…and knowing where you fit in within the community, which constantly evolves”.

Maryann has grasped the importance of gaging individual strengths and using them in that individual’s of work. She believes that it is vital for a person to find their highest good for each day. This involves an individual understanding the role they fill, yet also ensuring that the roll is also filling themselves. Maryann goes on and stresses that finding talents and transforming them into your strengths is an essential part of an individual’s career fulfillment.

Know where you are and truly understand the vision and mission of your employer. It is an agreement between you and the company and most importantly, you and the community, afterall, you are the face of the company serving the community.

What is the best thing that you can offer your work today?

Categorized in: Work

This post was written by Elevate, Inc.