BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL
There are some conversations that feel different the second they start.
And sitting down again with Dante Marino on Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast was one of those moments.
Because when someone comes back, you’re not just catching up—you’re seeing what happened after the hard work, after the uncertainty, after the leap.
And in Dante’s case?
You’re watching what happens when hustle meets opportunity in real time.
“I had every reason for this not to work… but you can do it.”
When everything changes—but you don’t
The last time Dante sat down with me, he was in the middle of the grind.
Pop-ups.
Borrowed kitchens.
Long nights.
Big vision… but no permanent home yet.
And now, sitting across from him again on Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast, everything has changed.
But what struck me most?
He hasn’t.
He’s still showing up the same way.
Still pushing.
Still building.
The moment that changed everything
There are certain moments in a business journey that just feel bigger.
This was one of them.
Deadproof Pizza is officially taking over Clam Haven in Derry.
And if you know that space, you know what that means.
This isn’t just another location.
This is a place with history.
With memories.
With meaning.
And hearing Dante talk about it, you could feel the weight of that—and the respect he has for it.
A local story that just feels right
What I love about this chapter is how personal it is.
Dante is from Derry.
He grew up there.
This isn’t just expansion—it’s coming home.
And that matters.
Because when someone understands a community, they build differently.
They build with intention.
With awareness.
With respect for what came before them.
More than pizza—it’s an experience
What Dante is creating isn’t just a pizza shop.
It’s something much bigger.
A space that feels alive.
Creative.
Welcoming.
A place where people don’t just grab food—they stay.
They connect.
They experience something.
And on Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast, you could hear how intentional that is.
Because he’s not just thinking about what’s on the menu.
He’s thinking about how people feel when they’re there.
The moment it could have gone the other way
Here’s the part that really stayed with me.
There was a moment where everything could have slowed down.
The Bonfire situation.
Losing a space he had just built.
That kind of moment can stop you.
It can make you question everything.
But he didn’t stop.
He pushed forward.
Because he had people counting on him.
His team.
And sometimes, that’s what keeps you moving.
Momentum you can’t fake
What’s happening now isn’t luck.
It’s momentum.
And it’s real.
In the middle of winter—when most restaurants slow down—Dante was seeing the opposite.
Lines.
Sell-outs.
People showing up in the cold.
And that tells you everything.
Because people don’t do that unless they believe in what you’re building.
Recognition—and the responsibility that comes with it
With that momentum comes recognition.
Awards.
Attention.
Validation.
But what I appreciated most is how he talked about it.
Not as something to celebrate and move past.
But as something to live up to.
Because once people believe in you, you have to deliver.
Every time.
It all comes back to people
If there’s one thread through this entire story, it’s this:
People.
His team.
His mentors.
His customers.
His community.
That’s what carried him through the hardest parts.
And that’s what’s going to carry him forward.
It always does.
A new chapter, built the right way
So now, everything shifts.
Deadproof Pizza moves into a permanent home.
A local kid steps into a local landmark.
And something that started small becomes something much bigger.
But still built the same way.
With hustle.
With heart.
With people at the center of it all.
Final thoughts
This episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast reminded me of something simple—but powerful.
Growth doesn’t happen in a straight line.
It happens in the pivots.
The setbacks.
The moments where you could stop—but don’t.
Dante didn’t.
And now, he’s stepping into the biggest chapter of his journey yet.
And I have a feeling… this is just the beginning.
🎧 Listen to Episode 41 of Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast
Watch and listen to my full conversation with Dante Marino and hear what it really takes to turn hustle into something lasting.
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ABOUT CAROL ERICKSON
Carol Erickson has owned Red Arrow Diner since 1987 -- four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. She started Beyond the Plate to tell the real stories behind the people who make New England's food and hospitality scene what it is. Not just what's on the menu. What's behind it.
Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com | @redarrow24diner