Mark Rodriguez
Founder of Simplify Food and Wine
Consultant to the Food and Wine Industry
Led by food and wine industry veteran and innovator, Mark Rodriguez, Simplify Food and Wine offers fact based wine and food education, food and wine menu structures, sales training, wine and spirit distributor relationship insights, wine importing and private label wine development, channel strategies and market trade intelligence.
Mark has been in the Food and Wine industry for over 40 years as a restaurateur/chef owner, wine brand developer and educator. Raised in a family that has been in the food and wine business for 5 generations, he and his family's restaurants have been considered some of Florida's premier food venues. He has cooked at the James Beard house, created dozens of culinary events, locally and nationally, and has been a featured chef in many events across the US. Mark was a pioneer of the Farm to Table concept in Florida, working with local growers and producers to curate the best of local foods available well before the current trend became a staple of great cuisine. He has been featured in national media including Food and Wine, Wine Spectator, Southern Hospitality, Florida Trend and more.
Leadership positions with fine wine companies such as Beringer Estates, Winebow and Sogrape Vinhos has given Mark the ability to work and learn from some of the most respected thought leaders in the industry. He has traveled the world working with wineries in Europe, South America and New Zealand and has represented clients in every US market and sales channel.
Mark has delivered wine education programs from Corporate groups such as Darden, Marriott, Bloomin' Brands and Sandals Resorts to local multi-unit accounts like Talk of the Town Restaurants and Columbia Restaurant Group.
Mark believes that understanding what the customer really wants is the key to being successful. Identifying those needs are key to the education and ideation that he brings to the table.
Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits
Republic National Distributing Company
Breakthru Beverages
Winebow
Sogrape Vinhos/ Evaton USA
Darden Restaurants
Marriott Hotels
Bloomin' Brands
Walt Disney World
ABC Fine Wines and Spirits
Specs
Costco
Total Wine and More
The Fresh Market
Whole Foods Market
Publix Super Markets
Talk of the Town Restaurant Group
Columbia Restaurant Group
Edible Education Experience ( Emeril Lagasse Foundation)
Sandals Resorts
The James Beard House
Florida Farmer's Market Association
My Vinotype ( a Tim Hanni Company)
Our mission is to impact understanding and develop new ways of working in educating sales and retaining customers in the Food and Wine Industry
The Food and Wine Industry is evolving. It's no longer the domain of the select few that decide what is right or wrong in relation of what we should taste, feel or believe. As we evolve our business, focus turns to the the customer and searching for what makes their experience more relatable, more enjoyable, more memorable.
We are changing the way we work with our distributors, how we look at sales in every channel and how we make an impact to forge relationships, looking at both traditional and new ways of working in our industry, building a more inclusive, diverse and enjoyable place to be based on what our customer wants and how we deliver those needs.
