Stacey and Mike Marsh (Eli Broad College of Business, '85 and '86, respectively) graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Marketing. Both come from a long line of proud Spartans and entrepreneurs.
The couple would eventually meet at the start of their journey at MSU.
"Our fathers went to Michigan State, and our older siblings went to Michigan State. Stacey's father was the drum major and went to two Rose Bowls. And our families had businesses," they said. "We were meant to meet one another and create a future together."
Stacey was eager to plunge into the restaurant business or invent a new food, partially fueled by MSU's world-renowned School of Hospitality Business. However, a family friend would urge her to choose a traditional business major because of how grueling the restaurant industry is.
"They had nothing for entrepreneurship while I was going to school," said Stacey, "we could've only dreamed about having something like The Hatch or the Burgess Institute.”
Mike's father had an automotive business, and, based on his father's experiences, Mike saw entering the food industry as a more sound decision.
"Everyone has to eat. It was not nearly as cyclical as the automotive sales industry, which made it so attractive to me," said Mike.
Mike was a student-athlete on the MSU wrestling team for two years during his time on campus. Stacey was a member of the Alpha Phi Sorority. Since there wasn’t formal entrepreneurship programming at MSU, Stacey would discover a passionfor marketing and branding through participation at auto shows across the country.
"Entrepreneurship was in our blood," said Stacey.
After college, the duo started their career in sales. Stacey worked at DTE, and Mike worked for his parents. These experiences solidified their resolve to start their own business.
They received a lot of valuable guidance from people within their Spartan circle. However, luck would strike when a family friend started creating Lavash wraps for her deli in Georgia. The Marshes would continue to travel across the country to research their eventual "breadwinner."
However, the success of the Y & S Deli, which eventually became FlatOut Bread, wouldn't have happened without one critical moment where the duo failed forward.
"We decided to do this concept. We went to the bank set on embarking on franchising concepts. Thankfully the bank turned us down. We were getting married in 1989, and we decided, before getting married, we were going to open a restaurant and develop our concept," said Stacey.
Shortly before they decided to launch the restaurant, Stacey's father gave the couple a great piece of advice: You're young; don't ever wonder What If?
The Y&S Deli would officially open in January of 1990 in Ann Arbor. The next decade would be a blur. Stacey and Mike described it as "10 years of being drunk but never drinking" due to the rapid growth of the deli.
Their hard work ultimately paid off and in 2015 they sold FlatOut to Lancaster Colony Corp’s subsidiary T. Marzetti Co. for $92 million. The couple now spends their time giving back to fellow entrepreneurs. Stacey served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Burgess Institute for several years, mentoring student founders and helping them launch products or services in the marketplace. They’ve both enjoyed sharing their expertise and advice with students in and outside the classroom.
“I want Michigan State to have the best entrepreneurial program in the world. So, I’m going to give everything I can to help them push that through because the college years are important when you’re trying to find yourself,” shared Mike
Stacy and Mike’s entrepreneurial journey is a true testament to their grit, purpose and perseverance. Now with a passion for paying it forward they are investing in the next generation of Spartan innovators helping shape Michigan State into a leading hub for university entrepreneurship education.