Big ideas

Wakefield, Mass., native Brien Spina was only 10 when he first felt the satisfaction that comes from making a return on an investment.

His source: He sold the remaining half of a large pizza he had bought with allowance money to friends, earning enough back to breakeven. His parents were impressed. “It's going well,” the savvy Spina replied proudly when they checked on his allowance. “I made my money back.”

Spina has been a self-made man ever since.

His latest venture is the new Southwest Florida Performing Arts Center and the upscale Italian restaurant inside, Teatro. Spina's vision is to have a state-of-the art theater for Southwest Florida equipped to host a variety of world-class acts — accented with a gourmet menu. His model includes booking top-of-the-line talent, with some coming from his comedy club, “Off the Hook.”

Spina invested at least $7 million to build and launch Southwest Florida Performing Arts Center in Bonita Springs. Obtaining outside financing was a challenge, so Spina says he used his money from previous ventures.

In addition to concerts and shows, the center is available for a multitude of functions, from weddings to filming music videos to possibly hosting a boxing match. “There's really not a facility, like a banquet center or an event center in town,” Spina says, “and since we have so much space, we could host a lot of other events.”

The kitchen is another key part of the business model, including culinary classes. It “could be a possible revenue generator, but also a way to increase our culinary level,” Spina says.
The facility opened in June, and Spina says there are a lot of things going right, so far.

The center hosted popular comedian Cedric the Entertainer in July, and Jerry Lewis is scheduled to perform in October. Area construction entrepreneur and U.S. congressional candidate Francis Rooney held an event at the facility, also in July, when Florida Gov. Rick Scott publicly endorsed him for the first time.

Another big get: Spina wooed Michelin-star-decorated chef Michael Psilakis to be executive chef. Psilakis has been on the “Iron Chef” TV show on the Food Network, among other programs, and operates several famous eateries in New York. Psilakis travels to Naples at least once a month to oversee the culinary operation.

Even with the early success, challenges linger.

One is in marketing. Not many patrons or local food critics and bloggers, says Spina, are aware the restaurant is experimenting with an extended soft opening in an effort to provide feedback for Psilakis and his team.

Budgeting for inventory — chairs and tables, forks and knives — to cover the variety of private engagements is another challenge. Spina cut back where he could, going with a pay-as-you-go mentality. Says Spina: “We had to delete, delete, delete, throughout the project in order to get open.”

Another challenge: Theater halls and event centers are notoriously tough businesses to fill seats consistently. And there are competitors nearby, both for acts and patrons, in the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers and Artis-Naples. Spina believes his edge on these venues is the gourmet dining element.

Spina moved to Marco Island in 1998, where his parents, both business owners, retired. He earned a captain's license and bought a fishing boat. He later bought a small pizzeria and turned it into a seafood and roast beef takeout. Other creative ventures followed, including the comedy club, on Marco Island, where past performers have included Drew Carey and Kevin Hart.

He believes the performing arts center, backed by his can't-say-no approach to the variety of possible events, could be his best move yet. “It just depends on the date, and what's available, and if we can make it work,” he says. “We're open to the options.”