Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. Mike Ungaro, CEO of San Pedro Fish Market and co-creator of the Kings of Fish TV series, shares the wild story of how his family helped turn an experimental lobster boil into the legendary Port of Los Angeles Lobster Fest.

What started as a risky idea of cooking thousands of live Maine lobsters in a homemade diesel-fueled mega cooker grew into a phenomenon that drew tens of thousands of people, top-tier bands, and national attention. At its peak, the team was steaming 30,000 pounds of lobster in a single weekend, redefining what a seafood festival could be.

From building custom equipment and flying in shipments of live lobster to pulling off media stunts that saved the event after a rainy disaster, Mike explains how ingenuity, hustle, and a willingness to take big risks helped brand San Pedro as more than just a fish market.

Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. Mike Ungaro, CEO of San Pedro Fish Market and co-creator of the Kings of Fish TV series, lays out a strategic 10-year plan to turn a legendary single-location seafood icon into a billion-dollar empire.

From a humble 200-square-foot stand in 1956 to serving 2 million guests a year, the Fish Market has always been about more than seafood—it’s an experience. Now, Mike is doubling down on that legacy with a $20–$30 million rebuild in San Pedro, a new Monterey flagship, and a strategic goal of opening one waterfront location a year for the next decade.

It’s a vision built on tradition, scale, and the belief that you can grow big without losing what made you special in the first place.

Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. Wing Lam, co-founder of Wahoo’s Fish Taco, joins Mike Ungaro to share the unlikely story of how three Chinese-American brothers built a Mexican-inspired restaurant—and became the face of a $100 million Merrill Lynch campaign.

Before Wahoo’s became a household name, Wing was just trying to make rent. With no marketing budget he learned how to barter, hustle, and create content before “content” was even a thing. That same scrappy mindset helped him survive the pandemic and deepen his lifelong belief in doing business through genuine relationships.

From celebrity golf tournaments to 2am meal drops at local hospitals, this is a masterclass in creative survival and community-first growth.

Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. Mike Ungaro opens up about the real work behind turning a legacy seafood business into a scalable, professional organization—without losing the heart of the family.

For over 60 years, San Pedro Fish Market has operated on grit, instinct, and innovation. But as customer demand skyrocketed and two-hour lines became the norm, Mike realized something had to change. The systems that got them to $10M wouldn’t take them to $30M. It wasn’t about hustle anymore—it was about structure.

Mike shares the three frameworks that helped him shift from chaos to clarity:

 • The AJI Advantage for foundational business thinking

 • EOS for aligning vision, people, and execution

 • The Macklin Connection for building real culture and trust

Whether you’re leading a family business or just trying to grow with purpose, this episode is packed with hard-earned insights and real talk from someone who’s lived both sides.

Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. In this episode, Mike Ungaro sits down with Lisa Landsman, Head of Industry Engagement and SMB Success at Google, to talk about what it really takes for restaurants to thrive in the digital age.

Lisa and her team are focused on helping small businesses—especially restaurants—get discovered and succeed online. From Google Business Profiles to new tools on YouTube and AI-driven ad strategies, she shares how tech is evolving to meet the needs of operators who are doing it all.

Mike and Lisa dig into the real-world challenges of running a seafood empire with massive foot traffic, high-volume service, and ambitious plans for expansion. They explore how restaurants can use data, storytelling, and customer feedback to create experiences that resonate—whether the customer is five miles away or five hours.

Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. In this episode, Mike Ungaro, CEO of San Pedro Fish Market, breaks down why smart sponsorships aren’t about blank checks. They’re about shared stories and lasting impact.

From slinging seafood out of a 200-square-foot corner shop to building a brand featured on Amazon Prime, Mike shares how Kings of Fi$H became a reality and how aligning with the right partners is key to scaling a $30 million business.

Welcome to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. In this episode, Mike Ungaro sits down with Kelly Esten, Chief Marketing Officer at Toast, the tech company powering over 140,000 restaurants worldwide.

When San Pedro Fish Market had to relocate on short notice, Toast played a key role in helping the team get up and running. Toast has become an essential part of the brand’s next chapter. Mike and Kelly talk shop about restaurant tech, AI tools, and what it takes to stay competitive in a changing industry.

Welcome back to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle. In this episode, Mike Ungaro is joined by longtime friend and former fish market employee Bob Nizich—now an accomplished attorney and entrepreneur with deep roots in San Pedro.

Bob started working at the fish market when he was just 13, but his connection goes back even further—delivering envelopes for Grandpa Mackey and learning life lessons from some of the neighborhood’s most legendary characters. Today, he reflects on how those early days shaped his work ethic, his career, and his enduring bond with the fish market family.

Welcome back to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle.

In this episode, Mike Ungaro sits down with Diane Hund, Chief Marketing Officer at US Foods, to talk partnerships, innovation, and the tech-fueled future of foodservice from the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. 

From high-volume operations to high-tech marketing, Diane and Mike unpack what it really takes to stay competitive—and why the right partners make all the difference.

Together, they explore how to stand out in a sea of competition, the role of technology in modern hospitality, and why your menu might be your most powerful marketing weapon.

Register for Food Fanatics 2025: https://www.usfoods.com/

Welcome back to Fi$H Factor, where multi-generational grit meets visionary hustle.

In this episode, Henry Ungaro joins his brother Mike to tell the wild, behind-the-scenes story of how San Pedro Fish Market didn’t just survive eviction—it turned a parking lot into a half-million-visitor pop-up empire.

It’s 2023. The Fish Market is being forced out of its iconic waterfront location. No time, no blueprint, and no backup kitchen. What came next was sheer entrepreneurial willpower: a shipping-container kitchen, bar built from scratch, and 900 seats on pavement. It wasn’t just a survival move. It was proof that family-run hustle never goes out of style.