07/19/2026
Starting a business was the most challenging thing we’ve ever done…(aside from having kids!)
And there was no roadmap that taught us what to do.
We did some market research (literally surveying over 300 people at SFU), had a simple business plan, and although we felt it was right to bring our authentic Hawaiian poké concept to life, it was still super scary knowing rent was more than twice our mortgage!
But when we finally opened those doors, it was crazier than what we expected.
The first day was a blur of adrenaline, we sold out of everything in just three hours.
It felt like a dream, but that joy was quickly eclipsed by the exhaustion of having no team.
We were the owners, the prep crew, the front of house, the cleaning staff, and the weight of it was immense because this was all happening while we just had our second kid.
The pressure on the operation became even more immense when Steve had to leave the country to deal with a family emergency while holding a full time job as a sales director, leaving Camy who had no kitchen experience to learn it all the hard way alone.
She wrapped her baby in the kitchen working weekends solo scrambling to cover staffing gaps while still trying to keep the store stocked and running.
To save money, she would actually pick up a lot of supplies from Superstore since big suppliers actually charged more (or had large minimum orders) - imagine a shopping cart filled to the brim of bags of avocado, corn and cucumbers! Cashiers used to ask her if she was shopping for a family party 😂
But we never gave up.
We kept working in the chaos, learning from our shortcomings, and made improvements along the way.
That period of struggle didn’t break us, it taught us how to run a kitchen, how to build a strong team, and how to deal with unforeseen problems effectively.
By navigating those early, grueling days, we developed the resilience and experience that eventually carried us through the challenges of the pandemic.
Without the initial growing pains, or the support of our fans from day 1, Steve’s Poké Bar wouldn’t be where it is today.
Turning our small, exhausted store into a thriving brand with over 20 locations to
