Today we’d like to introduce you to Colin Tom.
Colin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a third generation LA restaurateur. My grandfather and father started New Moon restaurant in the mid-1950’s at 9th & San Pedro street in what was then the de facto Chinatown of its time. I grew up working all aspects of the family restaurant and as a teen decided to make it my future career. I graduated from Cornell University majoring in Hotel Administration and worked in corporate style restaurants in Washington DC and Baltimore MD to further broaden my repertoire. I returned to LA in 1988 and ran underground dance clubs out of my family’s restaurant. In 1993 I opened my first New Moon at 9th & Main St., in the DTLA Fashion District. In 1997, I opened and subsequently closed a New Moon on little Santa Monica Blvd., in Beverly Hills.
In 2005, I opened my flagship restaurant in Montrose and two years later opened our biggest restaurant in Valencia. Today I have six locations: DTLA (9th & Main St.), Montrose, Valencia, San Marino, DTLA Cafe (inside Taste Fig@7th), and the recently opened New Moon Buena Park on Beach Blvd.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Challenges? Haha, it’s the food and beverage industry! However, it has been both professionally and personally satisfying.
Biggest struggles, we are a heavily labor dependent industry and associated costs (minimum wage, taxes, worker’s comp insurance) can spike beyond our control. Another main expense category, food costs, are subject to weather conditions (droughts).
Social Media reviews make for a wild wild west landscape; many good and heartwarming and others unnecessarily mean-spirited. Too few people ask for a manager to resolve a mistake in real-time, opting for a keyboard to exact revenge. Give restaurants a chance to make things right, if they ignore the opportunity… then they’re fair game.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with New Moon Restaurant – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
New Moon is a growing restaurant company whose roots are solidly established in a family-business culture. Of our 12 managers, 11 started with our company in staff positions (hostess, buss-boy, waiter). I am proud to be a part of their professional development and delight in their success’. We are a small company whose management strives to be industry leaders while seeking an important life/work balance.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Having recently opened our first Orange County restaurant (7620 Beach Blvd. Buena Park) our focus is on operations and making each unit a success. Check back in six months and we’ll see where we stand.
Contact Info:
- Address: 9th & Main St. (DTLA)
Fig@7th, TASTE (DTLA Cafe)
2138 Verdugo Blvd. (Montrose)
28281 Newhall Ranch Rd. in Gateway Village (Valencia)
2148 Huntington Blvd. (San Marino)
7620 Beach Blvd. (Buena Park) - Website: newmoonrestaurants.com
- Phone: 213.624.018
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: New Moon Restaurant
- Facebook: New Moon Restaurant
- Twitter: New Moon Restaurant
- Yelp: New Moon Restaurant
- Other: New Moon Restaurant
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
