Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Kwon
Hi KEVIN, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
What started off as an idea to open a coffee shop, quickly snowballed into something bigger. My family and I always enjoyed going out for meals and exploring new restaurants/cafes/spaces. From this Tickle Tree was born. None of us were formally trained in a kitchen and I was the only one with any front of house experience. Our menu was created from dishes from other restaurants that we loved seeing on a menu and enjoyed ourselves. We also trained directly with our coffee roasters to understand the nuances of coffee brewing and espresso making. We hit the ground running from zero. Working alongside some great staff members who had experience helped in our formative years. There was a lot of room for growth and learning. I feel like this can still apply today. The restaurant and hospitality industry has changed a lot, so we’ve learned to try to grow with it. Opening a restaurant is truly no joke. Our family never missed a day for the first few years, and that is a huge part of what it takes to be small business owner. As an owner you have to wear multiple hats and be your restaurant’s number one cheerleader. Tiring often, but ultimately satisfying, such as when you see a customer leave smiling or becoming a regular. We’ve now been around for 12 years, and opened a second location, JANE in Highland Park, that has been around for 8 years.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The start was definitely an adjustment. As mentioned, the work, attention to detail and dedication that is required to open a restaurant was tremendous. However, the biggest struggle throughout the years was during the pandemic. Having to pivot constantly with new requirements and rules to follow, made it really difficult to run a restaurant. There were many times when we thought that we weren’t going to survive. We had to lay off most of our staff, and was working with a skeleton team. We were spending so much on take out goods, changing our hours to be able to pay employees, and even taking items off the menu when meat prices were soaring. It took us a while to find our footing on how we would continue. Luckily, we got to a point where we could ask staff to come back, and most did return to work with us. We haven’t still fully recovered from those years, and business isn’t exactly the way it was before, but we hope to get back to that point.
We’ve been impressed with Tickle Tree Cafe / Jane Cafe, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our cafes serve The Foothills and Northeast Los Angeles. We specialize in brunch items such as breakfast, sandwiches, salads and burgers. One of our best sellers are the Orange French Toast. We also proudly serve Heart Coffee Roasters and Parlor Coffee, both amazing companies to work with. JANE is also open for dinner service, serving Korean food in Highland Park. We are and strive to be the community cafe, where locals can come enjoy a great meal with their family and friends.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
La Crescenta- I love that we get a small town vibe so close to the city proper. Its beautiful with tree lined streets and nature all around since we are nestled in the foothills. The unfortunate part to this is that everything closes early and it is a sleepier town.
Highland Park- I love that it’s humming with energy and vibrant. Its a community that is growing along side the residents that have lived here for many years. There are still unsafe areas to Highland Park.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tickletreecafe
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tickle-tree-cafe-la-crescenta
- Other: https://www.tickletree.cafe
Image Credits
Photo taken by Heidi Kwon
