Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Park.
Hi Justin, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started off my journey as a university student trying to get into med school. Years into it, I realized how much I hated where I was and decided to pivot heavily. After switching majors and graduating with a degree, I immediately went to helping my family at their business. At the time my parents were running a small fast-casual teriyaki/sushi restaurant. I wanted to get into culinary school, but scheduling conflicts prevented me from finding a good time to attend. After having spoken with a Chef friend, he recommended I stage (to work for free) at restaurants I was interested in working in. After applying for a few months, one stuck at the Top of the Rock (under Chef Gregory Wiener). After running a short gauntlet through the elevated dining scene in the valley, an opportunity came up at a small dying Korean restaurant in Mesa. Some TLC and years later, we finally got Drunken Tiger fully setup and running (the first official Korean Jujum in Arizona). Years of collaborations, chef’s dinners, and events allowed us to get to where we are now.
Following Drunken Tiger I wanted to do something a little different. Anyone who knows anything about the F&B industry knows that it is extremely difficult and tiring. I wanted to stray away from living inside my restaurant and originally contemplated a themed café; however, fate would have it that I stray further, jumping fully into the realm of events an conventions. After meeting some like-minded people, we set up UwU Con a pop-culture anime-heavy convention in Arizona. The event aims to create a fun and inclusive weekend for families, and like-minded individuals to enjoy themselves among the comfort of their peers. You can enjoy meeting celebrities, food vendors, extracurricular activities, merchandise vendors, and panels throughout the weekend.
At the moment these 2 are my main projects; however, we do have some things lined up for the future!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think anyone can open any business as a fresh/young entrepreneur without struggling.
In my opinion, restaurants live in this weird grey area of the business world. People demand service, they demand quality, and they demand speed all whilst expecting fair and cheap prices. However, we are also one of the few industries that get judged and rated by nearly every facet of the current world. The industry is also notoriously known for having high fail rates as well as financial instability. Tipping culture is heavily debated, and simply put nobody wants to stay employed long term at a food establishment.
From, untrustworthy ex-partners to unavoidable crises (like COVID), to break-ins and years when the economy drops; there are consistent struggles and obstacles throughout that add onto or take away from the longevity of a business.
We’ve been impressed with Drunken Tiger ; UwU Coon, 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?
Drunken Tiger: A Korean Jujum (indoor drinking establishment)
UwU Con: A pop-culture/anime convention
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Have you ever heard someone say it’s easier to make money when one has money? I think this is the least risky direction a new business owner can take; however, most people (including me) do not have the luxury living in the US to have half a million dollars in their bank account to throw at a new restaurant.
In short, I think the biggest risk is taking the first step. Starting any business requires (in my opinion) that you (as the business owner) live there. What I mean by this is that you have to be prepared to give your life to your business. You should already be prepared/aware that it will take a lot of time and a lot of money to grow and make up the initial investments. You can guess whether a business will succeed by paying attention to the owner and how much of their own life they give to it. I’ve seen too many times where an inexperienced entrepreneur with money will easily open a restaurant, but just as easily step away when they see how much of themselves they actually have to give to the business.
Though it sounds a little pessimistic, I think if you’re not a risk taker, you will struggle being an entrepreneur.
Pricing:
- 10$-30$ average range for food at Drunken Tiger
- 35$-100$ average range for tickets at UwU Con
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.drunkentigeraz.com/ | https://uwucon.com/
- Instagram: @drunkentigeraz ; @uwuconaz
