"Our original meeting was in a pancake house, which kinda threw me by surprise. I was expecting someplace more trendy. But I would learn from Mark that life is an adventure that sometimes can start around something as simple as a pancake breakfast. Here we are, a French man and a local well-known restaurateur eating pancakes and talking about Banh Mi. And what a start it was of an adventure for almost the entire next year! On September 4, 2014, we opened this dream, this concept called, Banh Shop, and what happened from there is something I will leave to Mark’s story. Over the next year, Banh Shop won the title of “Best Meatball Sandwich in America” for our pork meatball banh mi, but on a more personal level, I won and cherish the lifelong friendship of a man who I believe is truly one of a kind."

“He helped my team at MINA Group with the streamlining of some of our original concepts at our The Street Food Hall in Waikiki. I believed at the time we opened the food hall that the industry was moving this way and we wanted to be at the forefront of the movement. Mark’s experience and quick study of the processes of food halls was key to our work together. He invested the time to learn what we wanted to do and the goals our team had in Waikiki and brought process and refinement to our work. I personally believe that food halls will really start taking shape by 2025 and that Mark’s work has put him in a position to continue to help shape this future.”

“We opened Bengal Coast, this taste of ‘the other Asia’ in late 2007. During my time with Mark which spanned about 3 years, I was inspired by his creativity and his conviction for his vision. His passion for educating, inspiring, and connecting with staff, guests, investors and vendors alike was what led one to be amazed by him. I have kept in touch with Mark over the years but have not been able to keep up! Mark has never slowed down and he transcends generations of restaurateurs and brands which have come and gone. He is truly an enigma and he will in his own right be remembered for his creativity and passionate love for this crazy restaurant business.
‘Servers to the line! Pick up on Jungle Curry, Malai Kebab, and Rendang Steak Salad!’”

"As industry veteran Mark Brezinski shared, foodservice businesses must stay innovative by remembering the 4 C's: courage, curiosity, conviction, and capital. It's easy to get too conservative, especially during challenging times like we face today with out inflationary economy. But Mark shared example after example of restaurant concepts that were overtaken because their competitors had the courage to innovate. Mark encouraged all restaurant companies to have someone at the leadership table from the beginning who isn't afraid to push the envelope so that innovation becomes interwoven into the brand.