
← Tampa Bay Developer24 Jul · 1 h 14 min
How Cities Can Make It Easier To Start A Small Business
<p>On TBD Podcast Episode 197, Garrett Greco and AJ DeSimone unpack how Cousin Vinny’s Sandwich Co. grew from a 100-square-foot Tampa ghost kitchen into a breakout Italian American restaurant brand, survived an 18-month storefront buildout, used social media and AI to maintain momentum, and prepared to expand across Tampa Bay.</p><p><br /></p><p>00:00:00 - Intro</p><p>00:00:38 - How founders met</p><p>00:03:11 - Ghost kitchen testing begins</p><p>00:10:53 - Ghost kitchen not sustainable</p><p>00:16:29 - City permitting delays</p><p>00:35:02 - Opening day, huge lines</p><p>00:39:14 - "Cousin Vinny" name origin</p><p>00:48:07 - Everything made in-house</p><p>00:50:55 - New equipment, scaling production</p><p>00:53:00 - Two new locations announced</p>