940: Andrew Choi & Patrick Bouaphanh Co-Owners of Jinsei Motto

Andrew Choi and Patrick Bouaphahn are the Co-Owners of Jinei Motto, a restaurant/bar in Chicago. Andrew is FOH while Patrick is BOH. Andrew Choi moved around a lot as a youth because he had parents in the military, but in 2015, when he was 14, he landed in Chicago. Andrew had his first job in the restaurant industry at Sushi Dock, where he and Patrick first met. Andrew and Patrick became good friends there, and were eventually let go for drinking on the job together. Andrew then moved on to FOH work at Bohemian House in Chicago and stayed there only for 6 months before working with Patrcik again at Union Sushi. Soon after leaving the restaurant industry COVID happened and Andrew decided to team up with Patrick to create Jinsei Motto, which exists inside an existing distillery, called C.H. Distillery. Jinsei Motto and C.H. Distillery are two separate entities operating out of the same space. Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Join Restaurant Unstoppable Network and get your first 30 days on me!  Connect with my past guest and a community of superfans. Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!) Favor success quote/mantra: "The actual prize is the journey, so you have to enjoy it." In this episode with Andrew Choi we will discuss: Distilling The world and industry of sushi Bettering yourself in order to better your restaurant The benefits of pop ups Contracts The very unique business model of Jinsei Motto Today's sponsor: Join the 60-day Restaurant Systems Pro FREE TRAINING. This is something that has never been done before. This 60-day event is at no cost to you, but it is not for everyone. Fred Langley, CEO of Restaurant Systems Pro, will lead a group of restaurateurs through the Restaurant Systems Pro software and set up the systems for your restaurant. During the 60 days, Fred will walk you through the Restaurant Systems Pro Process and help you crush the following goals: Recipe Costing Cards; Guidance in your books for accounting; Cash controls; Sales Forecasting(With Accuracy); Checklists; Budgeting for the entire year; Scheduling for profit; More butts in seats and more… Click Here to learn more. 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring to scheduling, training, and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Unstoppable listeners get 3 months for free. Sign up here: https://www.7shifts.com/unstoppable Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Grind What is your biggest weakness? Too emotional, not enough time What's one thing you ask or look for when interviewing/growing your team? Team work, take initiation What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Taking the next step (possible brick and mortar) Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Gratitude What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Cleanliness What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Twelve and a Half by Gary Vaynerchuk GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations? Apple products (iWatch and AirPods) If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? (Andrew/Patrick) Family/Family Trust yourself and believe in yourself/Time Don't take things so seriously and do what you want to do/Trust Contact: Website: https://www.jinseimotto.com/ Instagram: @jinsei_motto Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Andrew Choi and Patrick Bouaphanh for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time! Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!