Long post coming! Lots of updates!

I have been wanting to write a blog post for a long time now but have failed to find the time. Fortunately today is a slower day and I will basically write about everything I remember doing since the last post I wrote. So this post will be a lot of paragraphs that don't really cohere to any theme. Apologies in advance! *side note* In my previous posts, I realized that I was spending a lot of time going over and changing sentences to make them sound better. But starting with this post, I feel like I am going to leave the sentences how I originally wrote them. My reasoning is because I want it to sound more authentic to myself, and not changed up to sound more formal. I want this to be a place for me to put down my ideas and not really censor nor correct myself (which we are all taught to do)!

Also none of these things come in chronological order, but enjoy anyways!

A good friend of mine, Vincent Ng, had a free day a few weeks back so he generously used half of his day to come out and talk to us about business plans and also to see and give ideas for the interior of the cafe. He loved the location, being two blocks from the beach with major bus lines running across and having a big enough dining area. He recommended a few things during the time we had together. First, he knew that we were trying to cater to the teen-young twenties crowd and encouraged us to make the interior match that population group. Basically he told us that the current interior seemed more fit for a regular cafe, but not fit for the young, hip crowd that we were looking to capture. With his ideas, I changed the interior paint, added LED lights, found some awesome artwork to put on the walls, and make it seem more fitting for the "hangout spot" name. Another thing he talked about was branding. I had read about it before but didn't think how to fully put it into effect for a restaurant/cafe. How I took branding is that I am "branding" this location as a "hang out" spot. Basically people want to know WHY I am here. What is my purpose of opening this place? I am opening this place as a hangout spot for young people because there is a lack of places like this in the city.  Branding is important because it is something your name is associated with whether it be true or not. Apple is 'hip" and "popular". Mcdonalds is "cheap" but "unhealthy". When people say Beach N' Boba, I want them to associate it with "cool" or "THE hangout spot". I am very thankful to Vince for all the advice he gave me that day. It is always helpful having a mentor who has been through this before.

Hired another waitress today. She has experience, is good looking, speaks three languages, AND can work nights. Need more like her!

The renovations are coming together smoothly. The last layer of paint is going up, we are going to move in the equipment Monday and start cleaning the carpet and all of the dishes and cups and such soon after. The last week of October will be used to start cooking in the kitchen and making sure all our recipes translate into the "big" kitchen. 

Was taking pictures near Ghiradelli Square and talked to a photographer who set up a booth there. She takes such awesome pictures that I asked her if we could work something out with my artist's corner and her giving me photos to put up in exchange for giving her exposure and her name and info up on the wall. I would even help her sell them if necessary! So we are still in talks with that.

The business cards came in today and they look great! The t-shirts will come in next week and we are finishing the storefront logo tomorrow and getting that made right away!

Living at home saves me money but at the same time, I need to move out ASAP once I get the business settled. It is a very stressful environment for me. I know that my family loves me and that they really care but the way they talk to me is just so degrading. I know how to take out the trash, I do not need you to teach me how to wipe the table... weird things. I am frustrated by how they still treat me like a little kid. I was living away from home for 6 years and I'm still alive. I'm sure if they just stood back and looked, they would see I can handle things (if I am starting my own business, you would think they know I can handle things) but they insist on "babying" me on almost everything.

Finally got into contact with the main supplier in Northern California. He is actually in San Francisco and delivers to the location which is awesome.

 I think I am hitting the end of this post so I will continue tomorrow.

Restaurant updates

We have had a few setbacks in the renovations in the restaurant. The first contractors we hired to do everything else with the restaurant don't know how to cut out the stove/3 burner that is connected to the wall and other appliances. This will probably delay us at least another few days as we search for someone who knows how to do this.

With that being said, I have done a lot in this time. I have interviewed a few people who all seem to fit what I would like in employees. The ones that have experience are going to be helpful because they know how to converse with customers, how to work as a team, and work in the kitchen. The ones that are younger and do not have that experience are friendly and charismatic and willing and wanting to learn.

We have been working on the menu and decided on grilled banana s'mores as a clever way of delivering the tasty beach snack in a different light. We are also thinking of other ways to make bacon cinnamon rolls. The current way takes 25-30 minutes and we need to somehow make it quicker but just as good. Thoughts?


Hopefully we will get the bank loan for the equipment we are seeking to purchase. Without it, we will be a lot tighter on capital than I feel comfortable with.

-Wilson

Updates

Let's update our status!

Menu:
Still working on some food and dessert items. The drink items are largely accounted for but we are still tinkering with food items that are sure to be a hit. How does sweet and spicy chicken wings sound? You want some pizza fries with that? How about some stoner tots? Bring on the smore dessert rolls! Any suggestions?

Location:
The old restaurant has finally moved out, so after the long weekend, the contractors will come and work on setting up the grease traps and then we can also get the place thoroughly cleaned and the back repainted and redone.

Staff:
Still trying to find a few more part-time waitresses/servers.

Paperwork:
Need to finish licenses, permits and other things but can't file fictitious business name yet because the old place hasn't officially "closed down" with the city.

Further updates soon!

Why am I doing this?

There is always a reason to start your own business. Independence, being your own boss, financial gains.
I agree that all of these are important rationales in wanting to own a business.

The main reason I want to be successful is to be able to take care of my family, my current and future one. My parents have taken care of me through now and I want to build something in order for me to take care of them as they get older. They think I am gambling my future away. I'm not. I trust in my business sense, my intuition, and myself. But even if I were, I'd wish they would realize that for them, it's worth it.

The worst thing my mother ever said to me was this. "How can I trust you to take care of me when I'm old"? Yes this is a rough translation from Chinese and she said it in the heat of an argument. But I don't think she realized how hurtful this one sentence was to me. I flipped a table, smashed my TV, and just broke down and cried. How could she say something like that to me? She came up to apologize, realizing what she had said. But it hurt so badly. I think about it to this day. Maybe she didn't really mean it but if she had that in her mind to actually say it out loud... what kind of son am I that the thought of not taking care of her ever crossed her mind? I actually tear up every time I reread this. Everything I do is for my family. Making money off yu-gi-oh and nursing so my parents don't have to worry about me. Putting money away for my car so my parents wouldn't have to chip in. Saving here and there to give some cash to my sister so my parents don't have to.

I am doing this for my family. I want to be able to make enough money at something I enjoy so that I can live a long life while being able to take care of my family. Working as a nurse in Southern California did not make me happy, almost depressed even, and it certainly didn't allow me to save money fast enough to take care of my family in the next 5 years. With my sister's college tuition and car needs mounting, and my parents' retirement age impending, I feel like this is a calculated and necessary risk that I must take on for the greater well-being of my family. Maybe this sounds altruistic. Who doesn't want to make money for themselves to spend? But the truth of the matter is that no amount of money can make up for my family and starting this business can allow me to hopefully have the best of both: money to take care of me and my family, doing something I thoroughly enjoy.

-Wilson

Does service matter?

 Start where you are. Use what you have.  Do what you can. –Arthur Ashe

Wow, it has been almost been two weeks where I haven't posted. I have been very busy at work (and also took a few days off to celebrate my birthday!) and now I can finally write about a topic I think is very important. SERVICE.

When I ask my friend's opinion, most of them say this. I come here for the good food and/or cheap prices. That's it. They also think that good service equates to higher prices. Why? Why do people think that good service has to go hand in hand with high prices? Why do I have to put up with the waiters who don't give a rat's ass at a local establishment just to get decent food? Why do most only expect great service at an expensive sit down hoity-toity French restaurant? I think that great service should be had at any level of eatery, regardless of price and location.

 How many times have you had a chance to go into another restaurant or cafe but end up going to your usual spot? There are plenty of reasons but one is service. They greet you with a cheery "good morning!" They remember your name and your usual order. They make you feel comfortable and at home. This is a great feeling and definitely something that should be done more of.

I think there are a few reasons that there is a lack of service in certain places.

1. Under compensated employees: It's hard to have your staff be very friendly and enjoy working if you do not pay them enough. If they are overworked and underpaid, then you will not get the best out of them. This also leads to high turnover which in the long run means higher expenses related to more training and decreased customer service.

2. Ineffective management: First it's important for the management to look for employees who are the right fit for their job. You should not look for great quality service from a very quiet person who you hired to be a waitress. It's not in her nature to be cheery and talkative with the customers. Maybe she can change, but with all that work and talk, you might as well have hired someone else who fits your needs in the first place.
Secondly, a lack of proper training and discipline by management can lead to future breakdowns in service. That is why companies should have a strict service goal to make sure that all employees know how to treat and interact with customers.
 
I think great customer service plays a major role in returning customers. It makes the environment more pleasant for everyone. Another side note I want to talk about is the importance of the staff getting along. It is important that the staff treats each other with respect and dignity because this leads to teamwork and strong flow in the restaurant. Having that sense of family and comradery leads to more effective work and improves morale, which indirectly leads to better customer service. A happy employee is one that will do their work more effectively and efficiently while treating customers well.

Without the employee, the store owner has nothing. That is a point that many people seem to lose track of but I will always remember.

-Wilson

Minor Menu Setbacks

Just a quick post today.

Was working on some of the menu ideas that sounded so good...until I tried actually making them!

Tried making some funnel cake marshmallows for our deconstructed smore... didn't turn out so well! But tomorrow I will probably try again. The chocolate cups didn't work out so well either. I think I burnt the chocolate while melting it because it got all stuck together...

But these are minor setbacks, no big deal! 

Will update again in a few

-Wilson

Rereturning

The common question that gets asked in business is, ‘why?’ That’s a good question, but an equally valid question is, ‘why not?’ -Jeffrey Bezos

As I walk into my coffee shop of choice (Rolling Out on 28th and Taraval), I sit down and start to brainstorm. Why do I keep coming back to this coffee shop? Why do I "rereturn" to this specific cafe? Let's list them below and talk through it.

1. It's close to me.
Yes, proximity is clearly a factor. It isn't the biggest factor as I would prefer to walk a few more blocks up the street if I didn't enjoy coming into this coffee shop. But of course, this is why people always say "location location location" is the number one factor in a successful business. My future location is 2 blocks from the beach, less than 10 minutes away from multiple high schools (Lowell, Lincoln, St. Ignatius just to name a few) as well as multiple colleges (SF State, City College of SF), with major bus lines running right past the cafe (the L train and 18 bus) in a location with few true competitors.

2. It has quality drinks and food.
I enjoy coming here and having a drink, whether that be a chai latte or a steaming cup of hot chocolate on a chilly SF day. I have sampled a few of their pastries including the sweet potato tart and the cinnamon roll which are delicious sweet treats. In order to have repeat customers at a place that serves food/drink, you must have some quality items that people will have to "rereturn" for. Hopefully some of the items that I will have on the menu such as the dessert rolls, "stoner tots", and specialty drinks will keep my customers coming back for more.

3. It serves a purpose.
What is the reason I come into the coffee shop? It is a nice, quiet and friendly environment where I can sip on my coffee and use the wifi to write some blog posts and do some research. In my case, the purpose of my dessert cafe is supposed to be a hangout location for high school and college kids. It needs to be comfortable enough that they will want to come chill, which also leads into the next topic.

4. It has a nice atmosphere.
The cafe I currently am "working in" has a pleasant atmosphere. The temperature is just right with a fresh cool San Francisco breeze that blows throughout the place. The music is light and pleasant, the noise level is average. The seating is comfortable and the place looks nice overall. In my case, the atmosphere is going to be different of course, because my cafe serves a different purpose. If I want it to be a hangout spot, I will have a few TVs around, showing Giants games and other things that young people want to watch. There's going to be a few "loungey" chairs and sofas in the middle to relax in (i.e. Central Perk). I'm going to loan out decks of playing cards and other games to invite them to stay.

5. It has great service.
Finally, the coffee shop I frequent has an excellent owner who knows about good service. Whenever he is here, we will chat for a little bit and he'll either upgrade my drink to a larger size or let me sample a new pastry he is baking. He'll remember what we talked about last time and by that, he makes a connection. He knows that by making a strong bond with your customers, it encourages them to keep coming back and be LOYAL. Loyal customers are always going to be your best customers. They are the ones that will tip better, that will keep coming back, and most importantly, TELL THEIR FRIENDS about it. Would I go about telling everyone that I go to this coffee shop called Rolling Out (on Taraval and 28th) if I didn't enjoy coming here? I definitely would not. In one of my future blog posts, I will talk about customer service and how I feel this affects customer loyalty and "rereturn".

-Wilson

Clientele

"Ability is what you are capable of. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." - Lou Holtz

What clientele am I trying to serve to? Is it to my own heritage of Chinese or to Americans like I have grown up to be? This is a tricky topic because people will have differing ideas on the subject matter. Growing up as a first generation Chinese American speaking both English and Cantonese (Chinese) fluently, I saw both sides clearly.

The place that is currently open at my future location is a Hong Kong style restaurant. They say it is hard to make a sufficient living because of the location yet they have been open for FIFTEEN years! It is two blocks from the beach and a major bus line drops people off right next to the front door. Quality of food is also not the issue, as their food is better than most HK style restaurants in SF. It is clearly who they are catering to that is the biggest issue. While I was there helping out on Friday, every single person that came in spoke Cantonese. Not one non-Chinese person came into the restaurant. When you are so limited by your clientele, it is hard to stay in business. And not only do you have such a specific clientele with different tastes than other Americans, it is the one customer base that is culturally inclined to NOT SPEND.

A small history lesson on why so many Chinese came to San Francisco.

San Francisco was called "gold mountain" by previous generations of Cantonese/Chinese people during the gold rush in 1849. Many Chinese immigrants, like westward moving Americans, flocked to the "gold mountain" in hopes of striking it rich on a fat vein of gold. However, this fairy tale ending was realized by very few people, and even fewer Chinese. When the Chinese arrived, they were bullied, harassed, and treated as second class. They were forced into slums (present-day Chinatown is one example) with despicable living conditions. Many had to take up jobs doing dirty work, opening laundromats, restaurants, and taking up small menial tasks. Many Chinese were also coerced into building the transcontinental railways across the United States. Hard conditions and low paying wages reduced the Chinese to second class citizens.


Especially since moving to America, Chinese Americans have had to work extremely hard for every single penny that they earn. Most Chinese Americans in that age had to save every penny they earned in order to send money to their families back home. Many a Chinese starved themselves stateside, in order to save enough money, with the hopes of one day bringing their family over to join them.

Where was I going with that little history lesson? Don't worry, the point is coming up next.

The culture that many Chinese have is the culture of saving. Saving money is a great thing. I grew up learning to save, save and save. It teaches us that you should always have something put aside for a rainy day, or even for something you really NEED like a car in college, or money for textbooks or rent. But growing up as an American, I also saw the other side of things. The culture of buying not just what you need, but what you WANT. Having but not needing an IPhone or an IPad. Having but not needing a $100,000 car. The reason I am shifting my clientele away from strictly Chinese (like many other dessert places are doing in San Francisco) to "American" is because of this. Chinese people are CULTURALLY cheap. They save, eat in, do everything they can to keep their hard earned money because they know how hard it was to obtain. Every single dollar was gotten using their blood, sweat and tears (literally and figuratively) and it is so hard for them to let go of it on mere wants. It is engrained in our culture because of our long fought history in the U.S. and that only the newest generations of Chinese Americans are finally letting go of.

Yes, there are a lot of Chinese in San Francisco. But those are not the clientele I am appealing to. I am trying to include and appeal to all "Americans". Having a menu that is basically for the tastes of people from Hong Kong and China is not something that appeals to all. Without a doubt, it's the newer generation of Americans that are willing to spend the money to eat out and try new things. That is the crowd I am catering to. Ones  that want to go hang out with friends, spending money to enjoy themselves on a regular basis. Why limit yourselves to doing business with a small subset of the population who are culturally inclined to spend less, when you can work with people who are willing to spend in order to have a good time?

-Wilson

Why do people go out to eat?

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."
-Bill Cosby

Why do people go out to restaurants/cafes? It's an interesting question with a ton of answers. I am going to explore this question in order to better determine which crowd of people I am trying to serve.

1. They don't want to cook at home.
This is one of the main reasons why people go out to eat. It's more convenient that cooking at home after a long day of work or shuttling the kids around for practices and recitals. Since my cafe will be more of a snack and dessert place than a formal restaurant, this is not the specific crowd I am trying to lure in.

2. They are hanging out with friends.
Eating is a very social activity and most people, similar to watching a movie, don't like to do it alone. Not everyone can hang out at their own house and thus, meeting up at a public location for dinner or drinks is the best option for everyone. My visions for my cafe are to make it a hangout spot for people to relax, have drinks with friends, and just have a good time.

3. They want to get away from home.
This is a very interesting concept. Unlike answer ONE, where the reason to leave home is solely to eat, hanging out somewhere away from home (more specifically a cafe in this instance) allows people to be away from family, away from certain stress, and just relax and have a drink and/or a bite to eat. Similar to what a bar is to middle-aged working class men, what I want my cafe to end up being is a cool hangout spot, away from home, where teenage and college kids can relax, kick back with their friends and enjoy some time.

4. They want to try new things.
Novelty. Novelty is a very interesting concept that lures many customers in through the door. It may not keep customers coming back, but the initial novelty of a place is a strong factor in deciding whether or not to try it. If novelty is what initially brings people through the door, it's customer service, food quality, and value that keep them coming back. Modern day business models are moving too far away from old school ideals like sincere customer service. Yes, the quality of food and the value of the menu is important, but I feel that customer service plays a vital role in customer satisfaction, more so than most people are aware of. I will go into further detail about customer service and my business model in another post.

In my mind, I want to make this cafe a spot for people to come, hang out, and enjoy time away from home. With social networking becoming so technologically based, with people using Skype and other means of telecommunication, isn't it great to have a place like Central Perk (Friend's fans rejoice!) where pals can just relax, talk, and basically feel like they have a home away from home. I also want to push certain boundaries for snacks and desserts, letting people explore tastes and foods that they have never seen before.

-Wilson

Introductions

Let me introduce myself. My name is Wilson Tsang. A little bit about myself.
-Graduated from Nursing School at UCI *zot zot* class of 2011
-Worked for a combined 1 1/2 years at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles and doing medical research in Irvine.
-Partnered with a friend to establish a very competitive and large shop at Frank N Sons, selling Yu-gi-oh cards and many other games and collectibles.

This is where I am going to keep my thoughts, while trying to open my own dessert cafe. I am keeping this blog (mainly for myself) in order to look back on it in a few years and see the humble beginnings from which I had come from. If you are willing and wanting to tag along for the ride, I will try to entertain and enlighten you.

The one question that people always ask me when I tell them I am trying to open my own business... WHY?
  WHY would you leave a nursing career behind to attempt to open your own business?
-WHY would you leave a possibly lucrative opportunity continuing to sell Yu-gi-oh cards and make a comfortable living off of it?

These questions always come up, no matter who I talk to. In this post, I will attempt to satisfy everyone (including myself) by answering these main questions and showing my thought process throughout.


 LOYALTY = SECURITY?
Security for our family, security for ourselves. Everyone desires it but a majority of people go about getting it in a very linear fashion. Get a job, get more educated and get promoted, staying at the institution until they retire while accruing benefits and pension packages to carry them through the rest of their lives.

But in these changing times, less and less companies work in this manner. Take my past two jobs in OC/LA as an example. I worked as a temp for over 8 months at Children's Hospital, with the hopes that I would lock in a full-time position when they opened up. My work ethic and abilities were heralded by my fellow coworkers. But when the time came to hire full-time RN, the 3 positions went to external candidates. Did my loyalty to the company not matter? Did I not move down to Los Angeles from San Francisco for a low-paying job in order to prove that I was able and willing only for them to say to my face that one of the reasons they didn't hire me was because they didn't think I was going to stay at their institution after 2 years was up? In Irvine, I did medical research in the capacity of a RN, but they used a temp agency to hire us so that they would not have to give us benefits or insurance. Is it legal? Sure it is. But in this age of cost cutting and financial instability, it does not pay to be loyal. Companies continue to outsource jobs to third world countries in order to cut costs. More and more teachers get canned or pressured to leave before they reach tenure, so that the younger teachers with less experience can take lower paying positions. In this age, it does not pay to be loyal. In my eyes, security must be obtained by yourself.


1. WHY would you leave a nursing career behind to attempt to open your own business?

 Nursing is a stable career. It is one of the main reasons I chose to enroll at UCI, in order to get my nursing degree and have some form of security for myself when I graduated. After getting my nursing degree and working in my various jobs in the medical field though, I realized that this was not where I wanted to be. I despised waking up every morning to go to work in the hospital or in the lab. If I am going to spend half my life somewhere, I'd better enjoy it!
At the hospital, I hated being constantly being surrounded by the sick and dying. After being in the field, I truly believe that people in the medical field, especially nurses, are examples of everyday heroes. Not only do they take care of their patients physically, they ensure that their psychological and mental needs are fulfilled.
Working at the lab doing medical research became monotonous and dull. The same protocol and procedures were used every single day and while I lied to people telling them that it was an interesting experience, it was only that for the first few weeks. I was not learning anything that would further my knowledge base, and I felt like I was turning into a machine that could basically shut his brain off for the whole day I was there, working through sole repetition.

2. -WHY would you leave a possibly lucrative opportunity continuing to sell Yu-gi-oh cards and make a comfortable living off of it?

Many people don't really understand the impact that Yu-gi-oh has had on my life. To most, this card game is just "for children". They trudge through life with their narrow-minded ways of thinking and fail to accept and appreciate what they do not understand. The only people that truly understand are those within the community.

I was somewhat of a celebrity in this community. I topped multiple championship caliber events, recorded videos on youtube to help further the community, while making money through the game in order to finance my travels to other events.Yu-gi-oh has allowed me to travel to 11 states in the past 2 years, as well as Mexico and Costa Rica. Even though most of us don't play anymore, a majority of my closest friends in San Francisco I met through Yu-gi-oh. It has even helped me pay my rent, groceries, and other bills throughout college. Through my capacity and hard work, it's no wonder that my strongest supporters and biggest believers in my success come from the Yu-gi-oh community. These people that I have met throughout my career strongly believe in my ability to succeed and my drive to rise above the rest. The opinions of this community are the ones I take into consideration the most: they have seen my work ethic, my dedication, my social skills at work and my abilities. I can proudly say that Yu-gi-oh has helped me become the strong, independent, business-minded individual that I am today.

But back to the question...why leave?

It is true that I could continue grinding away selling Yu-gi-oh cards as a career. I had contemplated the idea many a times. Yet, when I started planning for an opening of a card store, there were a few things that troubled me. Firstly, there is no exit strategy. If I built up a store for a few years and made it worth 500k, there is almost no chance that anyone with that kind of money would buy me out, because they would prefer to buy something else like a restaurant or a bar. Secondly, I felt that turning this hobby that I so thoroughly enjoyed into a job that I would work at everyday, mailing and sorting cards nonstop,would kill my love for it.

I have spent a lot more time than I thought writing this post and I probably need to be getting back to all the paperwork and preparation that I need to do for the next few weeks. Tomorrow I'll start working as a waiter for my parent's friend's business and learning some tips and tricks for running my own business while trying to figure out the flow and coordination that I will need to incorporate into my own business. Until then!

-Wilson