Sep 29, 2021
Imagine walking into a bustling restaurant filled with
intoxicating energy. The awards hanging on the walls, food is
hitting the table, the wine is flowing, the music is setting the
mood, and you even spot a celebrity face or two in the corner
booth. When that picture is painted, it's not hard to see why
restaurants get romanticized. Yet, what is usually hidden behind
the curtains is often the turmoil of day to day operations and the
sad reality of how many perceived successful restaurants can barely
pay the light bill.
Our next guest, restaurateur Simon Kim, personally knows what
it's like to be in that position. Before opening New York's first
Michelin starred Korean steakhouse, Cote with a newly opened 2nd
outpost in Miami, Simon had to deal with failure. In today's
conversation, we dive into his formative teenage years having to
adapt in America as an immigrant and what it was like to run his
former restaurant Piora, a bustling Michelin starred restaurant
that could not financially sustain itself.
He shares with us the valuable lessons he's learned through
that experience and how he's evolved into the restaurateur he is
today as the owner of Gracious Hospitality Management. We talk
about his philosophy on growing the business with the right team
and the right financial goals.
This episode is a must listen. It’s an honest conversation
about turning failure into wisdom and resiliency.
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