Where in New England is Joe Faro? On any given day, the restaurateur-turned-developer is shuttling between several sites in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, sampling menus, reviewing construction plans and meeting with potential tenants. "I basically have three full-time jobs right now," Faro said. "It's been a wild ride from 2010 to now."

The New Hampshire native is rapidly expanding his empire, opening a market in Portsmouth, expanding into Boston and overseeing constructing of his first non-food based business, the Tuscan Village development. But, as his real estate footprint continues to grow in Salem, Faro refutes the idea that he is taking over the town.