Doug’s Fish Fry named Small Business Owner of the Year

CORTLAND, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – An iconic restaurant’s owner was awarded with the Rural Small Business Owner of the Year Award.

Mark Braun is the owner of Doug’s Fish Fry in Cortland and was awarded the 2024 Rural Small Business Owner of the Year award by the Upstate New York Small Business Administration.

Braun purchased a franchise of Doug’s Fish Fry in 1991 when he was 22 years old.

In 2007, Doug’s ToGo food trucks were introduced, and the business started spreading its name throughout the region.

Braun’s daughter Tess acts as the business’ vice president, and his son Coby works as a cook while also attending SUNY Cortland.

Tess says that the team at Doug’s Fish Fry is more than a team, it’s a family.

“I ran around these floors, my brother did, my son did now. Both of our parents worked in the restaurant. Our grandmother worked, I have an aunt in there now. Family has been in and out for years. What my father has started, the legacy is amazing. But our amazing staff, they’ve stuck by us, both past and present for so many years. Through the good, the bad, the hard,” said Tess.

The Doug’s Fish Fry trucks are also used for charity events, and to date, the SBA says the business has raised over $2 million for local charities.

Upstate New York’s Rural Small Business Award is selected from nominees across the district’s 34 counties as part of National Small Business Week.

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