His father Donald started a high-end furniture store, Contursi Furniture, its pieces coveted by “the most well-heeled customers,” later selling the business to be a stay-at-home dad to support his wife’s business.

His sister Constance is a personal trainer who opened two fitness studios and created a highly successful kickboxing routine, for which she offers paid certification for other instructors and studios to teach.

Donald’s entrepreneurial spirit would flourish through food.

“My parents enjoyed taking us to fine restaurants, where they let my sister and I order anything off the menu, regardless of cost,” Contursi (MPI San Diego Chapter) says. “Funny enough, I would complain back then that I couldn’t eat at McDonald’s like the rest of my friends. I know, what was I thinking? Now, of course, I so appreciate that my parents exposed us early on to such gourmet delights as raw clams and steamed mussels.

“They also taught us from a young age to behave well in restaurants and to appreciate everything that went into the meal. In our house, we always had premium Italian cold cuts and giardiniera in the fridge. On Sundays, there would always be a Greek lamb roast. Those are my comfort foods that I still love to this day.”

These days, the 36-year-old Contursi still loves being around food and spends his time running around Las Vegas, and a growing list of other destinations, as the owner of Lip Smacking Foodie Tours, a pub-crawl for foodies he started five years ago. Contursi and his team take guests on a VIP-like tour of Las Vegas restaurants—from the finest eateries on the Strip to off-the-beaten-track establishments in the heart of the city’s downtown—where they dive into signature dishes and drinks, meet with chefs and owners and, as importantly, indulge in face-to-face opportunities. The culinary experiences typically last three hours.

The tours are gaining in popularity, especially with the massive Las Vegas group business. He’s been lauded by The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the World Food Travel Association, IN VEGAS, Thrillist and Meetings Today—and was also listed in The Meeting Professional’s “Top 10 Food and Beverage Ideas of 2019.”

Those who have been on Contursi’s tours rave about the experience.

“One of the things I really like is how Don incorporates a little history and personality into each tour,” says Carina Bauer (MPI U.K. & Ireland Chapter), CEO of the IMEX Group. “Of course, the food is always fantastic—you get to try the specialty in each location, the chef or owner comes out to meet you and Don has managed to ensure that his guests always feel like the celebrities in each restaurant you visit.

“I really can’t recommend these tours highly enough, whether you’re going on your own or organizing for a group of 150 people; Don will make sure it’s a special night to remember.”

Shelly Cruz, CMP (MPI Chicago Area Chapter), vice president of sales at Park MGM, booked the downtown Las Vegas tour as a team-building event for her team.

“I was overly impressed with Donald’s response time in the planning process and his attention to detail on the day of arrival, but, more importantly the unforgettable experience he provided for my team,” she says. “He had done his homework and knew intriguing facts about downtown Las Vegas and the restaurants we were visiting that kept our attendees’ attention. He is a great storyteller and the menu choices were off the charts and filling. I would highly recommend him to any client, and I am thrilled that he started at Park MGM.”

Such accolades are the result of a lot of knocking on doors to convince restaurants to sign up. But with Contursi doing most of the work on the front end, it results in a smooth experience for the restaurants, who get bonus exposure.

“Coming from the restaurant industry, I feel like I work really well with the partners and I understand their needs,” he says. “It’s been a rollercoaster, that’s for sure. In my first year of building my business, I seriously thought I might default on my credit card. That was incredibly scary. But I kept the faith and it paid off.”

Yet, in the second year, Contursi surpassed $1 million in sales, a number that’s increased every year.  He now averages 60 guests per day with a growing interest in large private group tours of 150 to 200 guests at a time. In 2019, his company hosted nearly 20,000 customers and had an average of three public tours daily for leisure travelers, as well as one private group tour daily. Meeting planners have booked tours with him for 30 guests in a new city each month over the next six months (Kansas City, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Philadelphia), and he’s gone international with tours in Canada.

Building the Business

“Like many kids growing up, I wasn’t quite sure for a long time what I wanted to be, but in hindsight, maybe I always knew,” Contursi says. “I realize now that I had a natural prowess for entrepreneurship and salesmanship, be it as a kid setting up my lemonade stand on the main street in my Chicago neighborhood or as a teenager playing my guitar outside my mom’s store to earn spending money.”

He moved to Las Vegas when he was 16 with his mother following his parents’ divorce and graduated from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. He found jobs as a server or in sales at the likes of Planet Hollywood, STK Las Vegas at The Cosmopolitan and Gordon Ramsay Steak.

“That was when it really clicked, and I realized how much joy and satisfaction I took in providing customers with exemplary care and service,” he says.

Contursi spent his off time trying all the restaurants in Las Vegas, building an encyclopedia of where to go, where maybe to avoid and what dishes to order.

“Anytime somebody would talk restaurants, I was almost like a know-it-all,” he says. “I wanted to show people around because a lot of people are overwhelmed with all the choices, and so I started doing this part time on my days off from work and my guests were in my ear telling me that it’s the best thing that they’ve ever done in Las Vegas, and that’s a very strong statement for Las Vegas. When I was hearing that over and over, I realized I was onto something and then it just kind of expanded from there.”

The meetings business is becoming more familiar with his foodie tours, and vice versa. Contursi says groups are increasingly looking for something memorable.

“They were saying it was taking their group experience to the next level, so I’ve really focused on that and it’s amazing for so many different reasons,” he says. “Yes, the food’s fantastic and all of this, but the big thing that we’re hearing from the planners is the organic networking component. When you sit down at a restaurant and you get to talk with your colleagues and those that you’re next to, and when you get up to go to the next restaurant, you sit down and it’s like having a totally new dinner, and you do that three or four times. Everyone’s gotten a chance to talk, eat, drink and it’s organic. There’s zero interruption from the staff to try to take your food order. It’s all taken care of.”

Contursi can do spousal programs to client events, and all he needs to know is guest count, allergies and dietary restrictions and who is doing the beverage package. He can even offer the option for a helicopter over the Strip.

“We have a lot of loyal guests that have been on five or six Lip Smacking tours, and we have a bit of a following,” he says. “Food is a really big thing right now and so are our experiences, and if you combine the two and create a food experience, it’s exactly what people are looking for.”

Lisa Messina (MPI Southern California Chapter), vice president of sales at Caesars Entertainment, is highly impressed with Contursi.

“I believe I speak not only for Caesars Entertainment, but many of my competitor colleagues when I say that Donald is highly engaged in our industry organizations and events, and stands ready to partner and serve,” she says. “He is fully committed and values the meeting industry and has found a solid niche with our customer base. He works with my team leaders to create memorable experiences in the Las Vegas community that provide a different glimpse at our food scene.

“We are lucky to have him, and I swear he has a twin because I see him everywhere, always energetic and smiling. Clearly, he doesn’t sleep.”

Contursi is glad his mother was able to see his business succeed.

“Maybe it was fate, because four years ago, she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer,” he says. “She ended up passing away, but not before we were able to spend two very special years together, growing even closer and even becoming each other’s best friend. I’m so thankful she was able to see me start to build Lip Smacking Foodie Tours. She was so proud, and only regretted that she would not be able to see me get married someday. After I started Lip Smacking Foodie Tours, my mom made the keen observation that our entire family is composed of entrepreneurs.”

His father passed away, too, but he remains close with his stepfather in Las Vegas.

Away from work, Contursi works out and rides motorcycles—everything from a sports bike for the adrenaline rush to a Harley for a “long, soothing ride to unwind and reflect.” He doesn’t watch much TV, preferring to be out with friends and family checking out new restaurants, especially in other cities when he’s traveling.

“My mom always called me a late-bloomer. I believe that everything comes in good time for a reason,” he says. “I know when I do have a wife and children, my interests may shift a bit and I want to work hard on my foundation now while I have the chance. Being single allows me to focus entirely on growing my company nationally with a culture and team members I’m proud of.”

For Love of Food

Contursi appreciates simple dishes that are full of flavor; use top-quality seasonal, local ingredients; and have been made with skill, care and passion. His favorite cuisines include Greek, Peruvian, Japanese and Italian. He doesn’t cook much at home due to his schedule.

“When I dine out, I zero in on the signature dishes that establishments have built their reputations on,” he says. “Casual, fine, healthy, indulgent. I truly enjoy all foods for what they are.”

He would know.