Today we’d like to introduce you to Phillip Ozaki
Hi Phillip, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I found my passion for cooking in while living in Mississippi. After moving back to California I started culinary school. Over the years I’ve worked in many kitchens in every position from dishwasher to server to cook, manager, and head chef.
Growing up I either ate microwaveable tv dinners or home cooked meals, depending on which of my parents was making dinner. I had no preference and was happy eating either one. I’ve had a connection to cooking and kitchens since I was young. I worked my first kitchen position when I was 17 living in Mississippi. I was hired as a dishwasher at a local seafood cafe making less than minimum wage, but I did not care. I enjoyed being in the kitchen with the crew and hearing all their non-sense and being part of the action every night. I think both of those things are was really attracted me to the industry.
When I returned to California I started Culinary School, mostly because I didn’t know what else to do with myself. I’ve always had a difficult time focusing in school and hoped that maybe this would be a different kind of school that I would do well in. Turns out school is school and we still had reports, homework, studying, tests, and all kinds of terrible things. I ended up graduating with my BS in Culinary Management, which hasn’t really helped me a ton in the kitchens I’ve worked in but definitely kept me motivated to continue working to pay off the student debt I created.
Upon graduation, I started working in different restaurants learning about the industry and different cooking styles. Over the course of many years I developed a habit, for better or worse, of finding jobs that had something new I could learn, working that job for about a year, and getting bored and looking for something new. My goal was to eventually open my own successful restaurant. I felt that it would benefit me more to see different operations and learn the things that make them great and that they struggle with over working for one company and moving to the top. After about 10-12 years of this I felt I was ready to potentially start my own restaurant.
One of my best friends, and at one point roommate, has always seen my passion and drive towards this goal and expressed interest in becoming my business partner in this venture. We discussed some ideas for restaurants we liked and came up with a few different concepts we felt confident in. At the time he was starting his career in real estate and we used his resources to see what types of locations were available, where they were located, and how much they would cost. We reached out to many different locations but nothing really jumped out at us. We continued inquiring and viewing locations for a couple years before COVID-19 wreaked its havoc on the world. At the time I was working in a large scale sushi restaurant and he was beginning to pursue branching out and starting his own brokerage.
The pandemic was an uncertain and challenging time for the hospitality industry causing many establishments to close their doors. Towards the tail end of the lockdown we found a location in Sierra Madre that checked off almost all of our boxes. Restaurants were still closed for inside dining and had just started re-opening for patio/outdoor seating only.
We decided to take the risk so we gathered our resources and I signed into a lease. Our first order of operation was a remodel which was a challenging project with supply inventories everywhere nearly empty and people unsure if it was safe to go out and work. Remodeling took a couple months, but the shortages and challenges only increased as we got closer to opening. We pushed through about a month of soft opening and had our grand opening about 3 months after signing the lease and getting the keys.
Since then its been about 3 years and the dream is still alive. There have been so many challenges and obstacles I’ve had to overcome as a restaurant owner just in these first few years. I feel I’ve learned so many things about being a business owner and about myself in this short time. The goal for this restaurant is still success but the ambition and vision for what it could become has grown significantly. The support of my family, friends, team, and patrons has pushed me to this point and I believe with the growing support and continued hard work we will surpass my current ambitions in the future.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
This road has been full of struggles and difficulties but not without successes and accomplishments. Major challenges:
As an hourly worker trying to move up, my appearance was a great challenge for me. I look very young so on many occasions others were promoted/selected above me, because I ‘look like a kid’.
Pay/benefits for most cooks/restaurant workers is not great
Long days(often without breaks), Overwhelming workload, working on holidays
Getting all the proper permits, licenses, establishing business entities, finding vendors, etc. I did not know anyone at the time to help me organize all these things and tell me where/how to apply
Sometimes it is a struggle to stay motivated and see the big picture and not just the slow progress of day to day
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I own a small business which is a restaurant. We are known for our unique style of food in a cozy little neighborhood, away from the action of Old Town, Downtown, and the Westside. Our food incorporates traditional Japanese ingredients in a very approachable way. I try to mix the American style of big flavor foods with the refined style of Japanese cuisine. We use ingredients like raw fish, seaweed, dried fish, miso, yuzu, etc and present them in a more American style, while still trying to maintain balance. We also offer a selection of unique cocktails, sakes, and whiskeys.
What matters most to you? Why?
Longevity and impact. I did not create this restaurant just to fit in. I want to stand out and create unique offerings that will continue to develop and be available for many years to come. This is a marathon which takes lots of hard work throughout the journey to get where we are going.
Pricing:
- Small Items $5-12
- Entrees $18-35
- Cocktails $10-20
- Lunch $12-25 per person
- Dinner $40-65 per person
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/roefusion
