Chef Barry Dakake, Marco Cicione, and Yassine Lyoubi are co-owners of Barry’s Downtown Prime in Las Vegas. As longtime friends and founders of Make It Happen Hospitality, they’ve built a steakhouse known for standout food, consistency, and local pride. This trio has made Barry’s Downtown Prime a Downtown Vegas destination.
Watch now to learn how a longtime friendship became a business, how they built media buzz without a budget, and how they make locals feel like VIPs.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST – All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc
Chapters:
[05:05] – The Power of Partnership and Shared Values
[06:10] – Building a Brand Through Social Media
[08:37] – Why They Named It “Barry’s Downtown Prime”
[16:56] – Vegas as a Culinary City (And Why Downtown Matters)
[20:15] – Barry’s Wildest Night on the Floor
SPONSORS:
RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —
Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.
• Toast All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc
Episode Links
Barry’s Downtown Prime: https://www.barrysdowntownprime.com/
Barry’s Downtown Prime Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrysprime/
Barry’s Downtown Prime Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarrysPrime/
Barry’s Downtown Prime X: https://x.com/BarrysPrime/
Chef Barry Dakake Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefbarryb/?hl=en
Chef Barry Dakake LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-s-dakake-71708ab7/
Yassine Lyoubi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yassine.lyoubi/?hl=en
Yassine Lyoubi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yassinelyoubi/
Marco Cicione LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-cicione-3908b55/
Marco Cicione Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcocicione/?hl=en
Make It Happen Hospitality, LLC: https://www.instagram.com/makeithappenhospitality/
Key Takeaways:
Friendship Is a Business Strategy: Barry Dakake, Marco Cicione, and Yassine Lyoubi built more than a restaurant. They built a partnership rooted in years of mutual respect and shared experience. That trust became the foundation for Barry’s Downtown Prime.
Local Loyalty Drives Lasting Success: While celebrities visit often, the real focus at Barry’s is making Las Vegas locals feel like VIPs. The team’s off-strip roots and commitment to community helped turn their steakhouse into a local landmark.
Media Momentum Doesn’t Require a Budget: With no money for a social team at launch, the owners filmed and posted their own content. Their hands-on approach to storytelling gave Barry’s early traction and turned it into a media-savvy brand.
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ABOUT BARRY’S DOWNTOWN PRIME —
Vintage glamour and hospitality meet modern innovation and design at Barry’s Downtown Prime, the new steakhouse concept from Make It Happen Hospitality, LLC. Barry’s Downtown Prime delivers the city’s finest steaks and seafood, fresh tableside preparations, creative cocktails, and outstanding service. Evoking a throwback vibe worthy of Downtown’s legacy, Barry’s will bring guests back to the classic cool of the 50s and 60s when great music and sounds of clinking martini glasses filled the air, the chef greeted you at the table, the bartender knew your favorite cocktail and everyone felt like a VIP.
ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —
Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.
Published by Entrepreneur Media – https://entreprenuer.com
Produced by Cali BBQ Media – https://betheshow.media
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q52TXOuFUYs
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