take five
“People. People. People. People. People. People.” By John Sprecher
own and lead the very successful Doc Ford’s restaurants on Sanibel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach, along with the Beached Whale and Dixie Fish House, also of Fort Myers Beach. But to hear Marty Harrity tell it, success in the restaurant business isn’t about food, but — as in life — about people and how you treat them, as well as community and how you give back. Each issue, “Take Five” poses five questions to a community leader or personality that have not been previously shared. Here, Marty Harrity dishes on the success of his restaurant franchises, as well as his passion to help others succeed and grow.
If you’ve ever met the man, odds are he’s greeted you like a long lost friend and put a big smile on your face. That’s Marty Harrity, highly successful Southwest Florida restaurateur and one dynamic personality who truly lights up a room. A resident of Sanibel for 25 years now, Harrity parlayed a career in sales and marketing for national brands — as well as ownership of one of the first mylar balloon manufacturing companies in the U.S. — into relocation to the islands and an early retirement at the age of 42 that, as he laughs, “lasted about seven days.” Today, through connections, a lot of hard work and opportunities, Harrity and his associates
16 COASTE | TAKE FIVE
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