Meet Piscator: New York’s branzino popup that sells out in a minute
📍Brooklyn, New York 🔗 hotplate.com/piscator
Have you ever thought about quitting your corporate job to sell grilled branzino? If we’ve got you hooked, you’re going to want to hear about Piscator.
Meet Chef Mason Acevedo of Brooklyn, New York. He recently quit his job as a Data Analyst at Google to sell branzino full time. His idea for a pop up started one summer when he was looking for a way to bring friends together.
As I continued to cook for friends and neighbors, I discovered the magic of sharing a whole fish. It had the power to bring us closer to both the food on our plates and the people around us. Yet, fish prepared in this way (despite being very common) was somewhat hard to find. From this, Piscator was born.
These photos are from Mason’s website: piscator.nyc
Mason does popups twice a week. On Saturdays, you can find him on the back patio of Troost cocktail bar in Greenpoint. On Thursdays, he’s at Doppelganger in Fort Greene. If the sound of a fresh, perfectly charred fish in a casual yet intimate setting reels you in, get on the list! hotplate.com/piscator
You won’t find white tablecloths or any fussiness at Mason’s popups. He prefers setting up in a “disheveled garden” where friends can come together and enjoy delicious food in a relaxed environment. Guests enjoy mouthwatering grilled branzino along with sides such as homemade focaccia, miso orange slaw, and seasonal berries.
The inspiration
Mason driving force is the belief that the best food is shared with friends in a relaxed environment.
My love affair with branzino started as a way to bring friends together during a summer in Brooklyn, NY.
He’s also energized by the freedom of the popup model:
What inspires me most now is the pop-up community in New York. There’s so much collaboration and openness. You get to create without ego, without being boxed in by traditional kitchen hierarchies. It’s a space where people are excited to share; I love that energy.
I love the dedication in this industry and how people pour themselves into their craft. But I do find the barriers to entry frustrating. Too often, you’re expected to sacrifice pay, time, and well-being just for the “opportunity” to work in high-caliber spaces. That shouldn’t be the norm. Pop-ups help level that playing field — they give chefs from all backgrounds a platform. I hope that culture keeps growing.
The solution
Mason doesn’t have a storefront, so he does drops on Hotplate.
In September, we had the chance to meet up with Mason and visit his fishmonger in Chinatown. After, we chatted with him about Piscator. Here are some excerpts from that conversation:
Q: Tell us about how your drops work:
I need to order 50 branzino to my place to prepare for these popups so I need to be very specific about how many I order, I need to make sure there’s no waste, I need to make sure that everyone gets food if they’re going all the way to Greenpoint, they’re going all the way to Fort Greene, so I do drops every Friday and Sunday at 9 am where you can log on, click on the hotplate link, and you can select the time that you want to show up, how many branzino that you’d like, and then within that 30 minute increment you show up, you let me know that you’re there, I throw your fishes on the grill, and then I deliver that right to you.
It’s fucking crazy by the way, because literally like I log on two minutes before it opens and there’s already 80 people just waiting, like waiting to get their fish. It’s crazy, like it’s wild.
Q: Do you do preorders and walkups?
I used to - so I used to do a mix. But, Hotplate is great because it fans out the service so I can have an even amount of service throughout the time period so it’s actually been really nice in terms of managing traffic, also branzino it’s a sit down food, so I need to make sure people have tables, and it’s open seating so that can make it challenging
But since on hotplate I can fan it out, it makes it easier for people to find seating, it makes it less crowded, and also they need to let me know when they get there, cause I need to cook the fish and make sure that it’s fresh for them, so at least this way I can make sure that it’s hot off the grill when it gets to them.
The results
Mason’s popups usually sell out in a minute.
In one year, he’s gone from serving 12 branzino per week to 100. Through Hotplate, he is able to manage inventory and time slots so that
He doesn’t have to worry about overselling
No fish gets wasted
Seatings are spaced out according to how many fish he can grill at a time
Everyone’s fish is served hot off the grill
What’s next
For the future, I want to see more collaboration and community. I’m doubling down on my own pop-ups and building a stronger network around my home venue. I hope diners keep challenging themselves to try unfamiliar foods. That’s how we grow—all of us.
What makes Mason Hot on Hotplate
Simple menu
The one and only item on Mason’s menu is Piscator’s Grilled Branzino Supper. Customers don’t need to make any decisions before they add to cart, and he doesn’t need to worry about remembering order customizations.
Mason introduces seasonal specials through different sides like a miso & blood orange slaw and seasonal berries, but these come alongside what Piscator is known for: the whole grilled branzino.
A clear Instagram bio
It clearly communicates
What he sells
When and where he pops up
How to order - with the link to his Hotplate storefront
A branded Hotplate storefront
Mason’s Hotplate storefront showcases his brand. Simple yet beautiful, featuring his logo, a photograph of his popup, and the link to his Instagram.
Authenticity
Mason’s true love for grilled fish and good company is at the core of his business. On Instagram, he shares his inspiration and invites guests to come enjoy good food, good friends, and good conversation.
