Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Chon.
Hi Jeff, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Took over my first bar & restaurant in Newport Beach in 2006 when I was 23 years old. The Alley Restaurant was a long-time locals joint that had a special place in the community. After immersing myself in it everyday all day for five years, I loved the community so much I opened a cuisine (shabu shabu) I love very close by. So the first Tabu Shabu was born in Costa Mesa in 2011. From there, I went on to try something new with live music and entertainment. So in 2014, I acquired the famed “Detroit Bar” in Westside Costa Mesa. After an expansive renovation and remodel, we reopened and rebranded it “The Wayfarer”. After this, I opened another Japanese concept I love (yakitori and izakaya) and called it “Oak and Coal” in 2017. After this and wanting to spend more time with a scalable brand, I decided to expand and build upon the success of our Tabu Shabu restaurant. So we began a growth plan, with corporate and franchises, that took us to seven stores across California with two more coming and another three coming in Texas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Smooth? Absolutely not. Very bumpy but I had the time of my life doing it. I was also “coming to age” during this process. I spent my 20s working in restaurants and bars that I would otherwise be a patron of. I loved it. Typical struggles of periods of poor performance, dwindling income, long hours, unending volume, sleepless nights, all the same issues every restaurant and bar operator faces day to day.
Then of course Covid 2020. Which by far was the biggest challenge I’d ever faced in my career.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tabu Shabu Restaurant?
We are a modern Japanese style hot pot (“shabu shabu”) restaurant that specializes in high-end proteins, fresh veggies, and the best in guest service. We are proud of our true mission to give guests authentic Japanese shabu with high-quality ingredients in a high-energy, fun atmosphere.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I would like to see the expansion of our Tabu Shabu brand into markets that otherwise haven’t seen it. Shabu is a wonderfully healthy way to dine and most of America has still not seen it yet.
Unfortunately, trends in dining are volatile these days. But I’ve always felt if you give people something you are proud of – it doesn’t need to follow trends to be successful.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.tabushabu.com
- Instagram: Tabushabu
- Facebook: Tabushabu
- Twitter: Tabushabu
