Check Out Benjamin Yap’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Yap

Hi Benjamin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My parents were immigrants from Cambodia and China. When they arrived, restaurant work was the most accessible job for them. Food was all they knew and so they worked in the food industry and met each other while working their restaurant jobs. After getting married, they knew that working for other restaurants was not enough to support the family. So they decided to start their own business. In 1990, they took everything they had and borrowed everything they could in order to open B&C Teriyaki. Since then, B&C Teriyaki has been the local favorite.

I grew up spending a lot of time at the restaurant. In 2023, my mother decided it was time to retire after going through some health issues. My dad couldn’t run the business on his own and it came to the point where he decided it was time to sell the business. The thought of letting go of the business that brought me and my siblings up did not sit right with me, so I stopped everything I had going for me and decided to go all in on the restaurant business. Since then, I have committed myself to serving our guests for as long as I can. I hope to share our food with more people in the world.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Taking over the restaurant from my parents has been one of the most challenging things in my life. Working this closely with my dad was extremely difficult. We completely disagree on almost everything. The systems I introduced into the restaurant were not well received by my dad who had basically been doing things on his own in the kitchen all this time. Learning everything from my dad in detail was extremely difficult due to errors in communication. My dad was never a good teacher, and I was never a good learner. We spent 6 days a week, 12 hours a day together in the restaurant, just the two of us arguing and shouting at each other almost every second. It took 6 long months before conditions began to improve for the better and we were able to set our differences aside. In the beginning, hiring staff was another huge hurdle for us. We went through multiple no-shows, last minute call offs, employees showing up extremely late, heard every excuse in the book of excuses. I learned a lot about team building and managing people. I’ve experienced some really bad and some really good work environments in my past and creating a healthy work place was one of my goals with the restaurant. I’d like to think we have achieved this now but I believe it’s going to take consistent effort and more to maintain and grow with my team. Rising labor and food costs contribute to the difficulty of maintaining a restaurant. We continue to do our best to maintain our business despite the challenges.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Prior to taking over the restaurant, I ran my own clothing business online. From concept, to design, to production, to marketing, I handled it all with the help of some friends who also had their own creative businesses. I ran this business for about 3 years and am extremely grateful for all the experiences it has allowed me. From travelling to different states for conventions to making friends with so many creative people. I plan to take everything I’ve learned from my past and channel it all into creating something great for the restaurant.

What matters most to you? Why?
All the people I’ve encountered throughout my life matter the most. I would not be the person I am today without the people. Whether they are still in my life or not I am grateful for it all. The people closest to me give me love and the great people out in the world give me inspiration and motivation to continue to grow and be better.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bcteriyaki.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/bc.teriyaki
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565876792585
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/b-and-c-teriyaki-monrovia

Image Credits
Ricardo Mora