OM DENNE EPISODE
In this episode of The Third Layer, host Marshall connects with Nick Perrino, Chief Revenue Officer at Home Run Inn, to explore the evolution of his family's century-old, Chicago-based pizza business. Now in its fourth generation, Home Run Inn has scaled from a Prohibition-era tavern into a massive restaurant and frozen food enterprise, but its success remains deeply anchored in its foundational values. Perrino highlights the complexities of multigenerational leadership, detailing how the family balances professional roles with family dynamics through intentional communication and robust conflict-management frameworks. He emphasizes the critical importance of a "learner mindset" and the courage to lean into discomfort, lessons powerfully reinforced during their massive operational pivot to double production during the COVID-19 pandemic. By hiring, firing, and operating strictly by their core values (Family, Pride, Grit, and Courage), Home Run Inn has created an environment of deep trust and high performance. For family business leaders, Perrino's reflections offer a powerful blueprint for aligning stakeholders, nurturing internal talent, and preserving legacy while adapting to immense market demands.
Key Themes:Operationalizing Core Values
Navigating Multigenerational Leadership
Embracing the Learner Mindset
Courage Over Comfort
Scaling Through Crisis
Timestamps:
00:17 - Origin story of Home Run Inn, founded during Prohibition in 1923
02:03 - Launch of pizza in 1947 and the birth of tavern style pizza
06:38 - Current business scope: six restaurants, airport locations, and frozen pizza in all 50 states
08:00 - Market positioning as a family-owned brand competing against Nestle and Schwan's
09:30 - Nick's father Joe Perrino scaling the business from restaurants into frozen pizza
18:16 - Nick's career path outside the business at Sears Holdings and Power Play Distributors
25:23 - COO role during COVID and scaling production from 60,000 to 120,000 pizzas per day
33:33 - Core values: family, pride, grit, and courage
39:22 - Navigating family dynamics and professional roles within the C-suite
54:08 - Legacy: standing for what you believe in even when no one is following
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