This Award-Winning Korean Chef Says BIZ Experiencesship Is Glamorized. Her Recipe For Success? Hard Work and Consistency. Esther Choi, founder of mŏkbar and mŏkbar Brooklyn, believes BIZ Experiencesship isn't as easy as it looks on social media. These are the lessons she hopes other aspiring BIZ Experiencess can learn from before they decide to take the plunge into launching their own business.
By Mita Mallick Edited by Kara McIntyre
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
"I grew up cooking pretty much my whole life. While my brother and sister and other kids were playing outside, I just wanted to be in the kitchen with my grandma," says Esther Choi, chef and founder of mŏkbar and mŏkbar Brooklyn. "I learned a lot of my cooking from my grandmother and even now, a lot of my recipes are inspired by her."
Driven by her Korean roots, Choi draws inspiration from age-old techniques from her grandmother's kitchen to introduce her customers to the flavors of Korean culture. During her teenage years, she worked in a very small Japanese-Korean restaurant.
"That experience of my first job at 14 years old led to my love for the restaurant industry. Over time, through high school and college, I kept working in restaurants, both in the kitchen and front of house and learned so many skills," says Choi.
After she graduated, Choi dabbled in the corporate world, but still felt drawn to cooking and food. She couldn't let go of her dream of owning her own restaurant one day.
"Eventually, I went to culinary school to hone my craft and build skills, but I feel like I had been training my whole life for it," says Choi. "I am not an overnight success. Too often BIZ Experiencesship is glamorized in social media. But the secret ingredient to my success has simply been this: hard work and consistency."
Today, Choi is not just the chef/owner of mŏkbar and mŏkbar Brooklyn — she's also the chef/partner of Ms. Yoo. She will soon be launching a line of products including ready-to-drink teas, popcorn and frozen foods. She's also filming new seasons of her television shows, 24 in 24 on Food Network, and Heat Eaters on First We Feast.
"I'm excited to see my dreams become a reality and be able to share my passion for food with a wider audience," she says.
As she continues to scale her businesses, here are three lessons Esther Choi has learned along the way.
1. Turn your mistakes into positive lessons
"One of my restaurant locations has been a continuous failure, and I am just not ready to let go of it yet," says Choi. "Despite numerous attempts to revitalize it by changing the concept multiple times, it just hasn't become a great location when it comes to sales."
Choi says instead of focusing on the negative aspects of making a mistake, she focuses on turning those mistakes into positive lessons. She acknowledges that closing a location is not easy. Without this location, she wouldn't be able to test different projects and business ideas or use that location as a test kitchen.
"So, if you think you have a wrong location, remember it's never actually a wrong location because if you do close it, then you learn how to close a restaurant," says Choi. "I remind myself that if you don't have any failures, you aren't pushing yourself and you're not going down the path that you should."
2. Be selective about your partnerships
"During the pandemic, I thought we had lost it all. We had to think strategically about how to generate revenue and select the right partner," says Choi. "Partnering with CookUnity completely changed my perspective on how to grow my business."
Choi started working with CookUnity, a first-of-its-kind chef-to-table marketplace, delivering meals to people across the country. The brand democratizes access to professional chef-made food for consumers and provides a platform for chefs to expand their careers into new avenues and new corners of the country. Choi slowly built a team to work directly with CookUnity, offering signature meals like bulgogi beef ramen and spicy pork buns.
CookUnity was founded by Mateo Marietti, an BIZ Experiences with years of experience in food startups in Argentina. He saw how difficult it was for chefs to scale their businesses — and thus, CookUnity was born. For Choi, the revenue her partnership brings with CookUnity is a significant driver of her business. She credits the partnership with getting her through the pandemic.
"I've learned the importance of aligning with partners who share my vision and values," says Choi. "I encourage founders looking at partnerships to be selective and ensure you are aligned on your collective goals and willing to put in the work to manage the ups and downs of any partnerships."
3. Lean into your strengths
"There will be times in a kitchen when I can't lift a 50-pound restaurant delivery like a man in the restaurant might be able to, so I've had to lean into what I do have and what I can do," says Choi. "In the end, you are always selling yourself. You have to work hard in different ways and earn the trust of your peers."
Choi recalls being a sous-chef for the first time at just 25 years old, working in a Mexican restaurant in New York City. She was leading a team of approximately 50 men, all of Mexican heritage.
"And there I was, this tiny Asian girl who tells them I am their boss, and it was difficult and scary. In the beginning, they weren't listening to me," says Choi.
She said she proved herself day in and out, leaning into her strengths and her expertise in overseeing a kitchen. She was the first one in the kitchen and she was the last one to leave. She listened to their concerns, she rolled up her sleeves and helped when they needed her support. And over time, she earned their respect. Her team backed her up during the ups and downs of their time working together, and she's still friends with many of them to this day.
"Lean into your strengths to prove them wrong. I've always embraced my identity as a woman of color in the industry. My strong work ethic, passion for my craft and willingness to learn from others [are] what continues to set me apart from others and drive my success," says Choi.
This Women BIZ Experiences® article is part of our ongoing series highlighting the stories, challenges and triumphs of running a business as a woman.
