06/19/2026
Chapter 3
What We Didn’t Know Before Opening a Restaurant
After spending twenty years as an employee, I had no idea how much work went into opening a restaurant.
As an employee, my job was to do my work well.
As an owner, suddenly everything became my responsibility—from permits and equipment to purchasing and inventory.
One area that has always been especially important to me is inventory management.
Order too little, and you run out of food.
Order too much, and if sales don’t keep up, ingredients lose their freshness and eventually have to be thrown away.
That’s not only a waste of food, but also a financial loss.
Even today, it remains one of the biggest challenges in running a restaurant.
Another challenge was creating the menu.
Every recipe was designed by me.
Every flavor was adjusted, tested, and adjusted again.
Many restaurants rely on pre-cooked ingredients that simply need to be reheated or quickly finished before serving.
There is nothing wrong with that approach.
But from the beginning, we chose a different path. We wanted to prepare as much as possible ourselves. Today, people call that concept a Scratch Kitchen.
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Running a restaurant has taught me many things.
One of the biggest lessons is that people are impossible to predict.
The exact same dish, made with the same ingredients, the same recipe, and the same seasonings, can receive completely different reactions.
Some guests tell us it’s the best meal they’ve ever had.
Some have even been brought to tears by a familiar flavor that reminded them of home.
And others may think it’s too salty, too bland, too soft, or too firm.
Over time, I’ve learned an important lesson:
There is no dish in the world that will make everyone happy.
But that doesn’t stop us from trying.
I often joke that if you want to become a great chef, you need the same energy and dedication you once had when you were trying to impress your girlfriend.
Treat every guest as if they are the most important person in your life.
Because when you truly care, you’ll keep improving, keep learning, and keep trying to make the next plate better than the last.
And that has been our philosophy since the very first day we opened our doors.
To be continued…
