Today we’d like to introduce you to Leonard Chan.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After graduating from University of California, Irvine I hopped into a gig at Kingston Technology in the Information Technology department. It was an amazing company and I couldn’t have asked for a better workplace right out of college. After bouncing around to a few different companies and consulting in the technology space for 13 years, I was ready for a change. At first, I wanted to open up a neighborhood bar. I thought I could just skip into the ABC, pay a fee, get my liquor license, and then open up! Little did I know there was a long process and a lot more details that I realized I wasn’t prepared for at the time. So then I tried to open The Mad Batter (what turned into The Iron Press). I saw a food cart up in Portland that had amazing sweet and savory waffles and it paired well with all of the good breweries in the area. I thought that it would make a perfect marriage of the two. I spent quite a bit of time building out an extensive business plan and circulated it around to all my friends who I thought would be interested and got bageled for 6 months. I’m talking zero interested. Nada. Zilch. Craft beer just wasn’t where it is now 9 years ago. So that was that! I had a job lined up in Seattle and a potential position all the way in Singapore. I was out of here.
One night after maybe 12 too many drinks at Proof Bar in Downtown Santa Ana, my good friend Wayne, who is the original owner of California Shabu Shabu in Fountain Valley, asked if I would be interested in opening up a follow-up to his spot. I had been asking him for years, but he was weary about mixing business with friends – luckily, he changed his mind and I will be forever grateful for it. At the end of the night, he hides his key, calls Triple A, and gets a tow home. Remember, this is pre-Uber and Lyft haha.
So the next day, I get a call from Wayne and he asks “Where are you? You’re late. Don’t worry if you weren’t serious, I know we drank a lot”. My response was “What?! You remember? I thought you were blacked out haha!”. So I ran around Target throwing everything back on the shelves and shot over to his spot. We spent about a week knocking out all of the numbers and it all made sense. I retooled the business plan, sent it around, and got funded in about 2 months! Fortunately, after Cal Shabu hit the ground running and we were doing well, I revisited The Mad Batter, tweaked some things and renamed it to The Iron Press and the rest is history!
Has it been a smooth road?
Hahahahahah oh, boy. If anyone who is running a restaurant tells you it’s been smooth like butter, never trust anything that person says ever again. The hurdles you have to jump over are endless, I should have legs of steel by now. I’d say if I had to give you 3 things that are always a challenge is:
1. Motivating and managing employees. Everyone is different, have different goals, different personalities, different attitudes, and different work ethics that it’s a constant moving target.
2. Staying ahead or at least following trends. I have always adapted the motto of “Adapt or Die”. Foodies are a fickle, but fun bunch.
3. The biggest thing I struggle with is work/life balance. I always want to be in the restaurants, because I love the industry and the amazing people, but you really have to find time for your friends, family, and most importantly yourself. It’s been difficult, but I am getting better at it. 2018 goals?
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the California Shabu Shabu, The Iron Press, Shuck Oyster Bar, The Blind Rabbit, Rolling Boil, Hatch, McFadden Public Market and The Apiary. story. Tell us more about the business.
I truly believe that we create a special experience for our guests. All of our concepts are highly focused on customer interaction. As my buddy Dougie put it best, we are a hugs before handshakes group. Many of our regulars have become close friends and we spend time together outside of the restaurants.
I never go around looking for a spot to drop a particular concept. I always look to neighborhoods I can relate to and see how we could contribute to the community with a fun spot.
Lastly, we always try to establish a career path for our team members. We have had dish washers learn how to prep, then cook, then become kitchen managers. Some of our guys started out in the kitchen and now tend bar for us.
There are servers that have become managers and now are partners with us. I’m a big believer in promoting from within. So if we can help you along the way, stick with us. If you have a better opportunity, use us as a stepping stone.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The food hall scene we are seeing now still has quite a bit of legs left in it. What I love about where the industry is shifting is that there is so much competition. While other people feel competition as a threat, I see it as a burgeoning community. I see smaller markets having better and better dining and libation options. I feel like micro franchises will be the next big thing. Where these one off concepts will expand to a nearby market, or markets, and thrive, but not expand like cuckoo. I’d love to see more local distilleries popping up, especially one that makes a proper and delicious Fernet *swoon*.
Contact Info:
- Address: The Apiary
619 N. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA - Website: www.TheApiaryCollective.com
- Phone: 949-433-3854
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: TheApiaryCollective
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheApiaryCollective/
Image Credit:
100eats
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.
