In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Scott Saunders, the CEO, and creator of Fury Water Adventures Key West. We discuss how Scott almost flunked out of high school, quit college (the first time), and gave up on making anything of himself. To any outsider, Scott would have been considered a “loser,” but it…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down at the Key West Theater with Brianna Gangi, the Marketing Director of the theater and of Rams Head Presents-Key West. We talk about how Rams Head Presents is adding to the ever-growing music scene down here in Key West, and how up and coming artists are using Key…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Kassy Burnette and Stuart Damon at The Art Shack, a compound of art galleries and artist studios. We talked about joining the community, getting a studio spot at The Art Shack, and why Stock Island is starting to emerge. The Art Shack We are a community of…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with artist, gallery and studio owner, Anna Sweet. We talk about how she went from photographer to artist and hit pay dirt, her humble upbringing (1 of 9 kids), and how her competitive nature keeps her humble, yet drives her harder than ever to continue to grow. More…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Rich Pesce to talk about how he started his construction management business in Lower Manhattan months before September 11th, and how he became a real estate investor in three Key West Bed & Breakfast Inns: The Inn on Fleming, Coco Plum Inn Bed & Breakfast, and Key…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with famed Chef Bill Hunt, the new head chef at the even more famous Smokin’ Tuna Saloon. We talk about big changes happening at the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon when it comes to their menu and how his Boston work ethic mixed with his trust in the people that…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Jenny Lorenz, the Director of Marketing at The Perry Hotel Key West. We go over why the Hotel chose Stock Island to call itself home, all of the expansion plans happening in November (2019), and the truth about booking your hotel with an online company, compared to…

Have you ever seen the movie “Chef” and dreamed of selling it all, buying a food truck and hitting the open road? In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down, (right outside the food truck) with Amy Clarke-Van Schoor, one of the co-owners of the highly addicting, Taco Grilla. We talk about how they got started…

https://backyardsofkeywest.com

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Adam Russell, one half of the successful Key West Pottery, in his famed gallery on the doubly famed, Duval Street. The audio is a bit dodgy on this episode, but there were too many brain nuggets to not publish it. We talked about the artist journey and…

In the episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Tricia Coyne, the owner of the modern chef-driven Firefly restaurant. We talk about Fireball shots, Great White sharks, her Bubba Award, and how she took her restaurant idea from a college dream into a successful Key West hotspot. More About Firefly Restaurant Firefly is a modern, chef-driven…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Keith St. Peter, the owner of Kojin Noodle Bar and once famed, “The Porch,” on his new venture, GlitchCraft. We talk about why he and his partners are keeping the bar scene cool and scratching their itch by creating a place they love hanging out at themselves. It’s…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Kristy Geary, the owner of Love In Bloom flower shop.  We talk about her days as a youngster at Sloppy Joes, how she took a leap of faith and jumped head first into a brand new business, and all her secret spots in Key West. MORE ABOUT…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Carol Wightman, one of the owners of the famed Marquesa Hotel to discuss, what it takes to run a successful hotel, some famed guests that have stayed at the hotel, and what the “hotel life” in Key West really looks like. Be on the listen for Carol’s…

In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with Craig Reynolds to discuss how he created a widely successful landscape architect business on our small 2×4 mile island. Craig’s one of a kind hardscape and landscape design has set him up as HGTV’s Ultimate Outdoor Winner 2019. MORE ON CRAIG via HGTV’s Interview Craig Reynolds has 22…

In our first episode, Mark Baratto speaks with Nadene Grossman Orr who handles all of the planning for Fantasy Fest, the Annual Key West Songwriters Festival, and many more events through her company We’ve Got The Keys. We go deep into why she moved to Key West and what she loves about living and working…