Sauce Boss
His Tuscan Brands empire, like so many successful ventures, began with an idea. During his senior year at UNH, Faro took second place in the Holloway Prize Competition, which awards entrepreneurs and innovators with cash prizes to help bring their business ideas to market.
Faro’s idea? Joseph’s Gourmet Pasta and Sauce. He took that academic endeavor and turned it into culinary gold: Launching it out of his parents’ attic based on his experience cooking with his very Sicilian and very culinary family as a youngster, and eventually selling the business to food giant Nestlé in 2006.
Always thinking bigger, Faro began yet another venture four years later: opening Tuscan Kitchen and Tuscan Market in Salem, which now has franchises in Boston and Burlington, Massachusetts.
Then the big idea: taking over the 170-acre racetrack property for a hospitality and retail campus. Since groundbreaking in 2017, the aptly named Tuscan Village now houses retail giants like L.L. Bean, Pottery Barn and World Market, and recently announced the addition of restaurants like Capital Grille, Shake Shack and the Friendly Toast (the latter two, by the way, are also run by UNH alumni). The site is also home to condos, The Artisan Hotel and a Mass General Brigham clinic. Tuscan Brands also operates Toscana Chophouse in Portsmouth and Tuscan Sea Grill & Bar in Newburyport.
Faro has remained involved with his alma mater, speaking at events, judging competitions and supporting the local alumni networks.
Back on campus in 2019 to be inducted into the Alumni Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, Faro talked about the importance of passion and perseverance.
“Being an entrepreneur means I’m always consistent, and the consistency is, things never go to plan,” he joked. “That’s why it’s important to always have your vision on the long game and use that passion you have as fuel to get there.”