We were lucky to catch up with Hak Sung Kim recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hak Sung, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

More than an anecdote, I would like to say that for me the key reason to continue prospering is: not to be afraid and to resist, above all not to be afraid of failure. I believe that more than a talent, perseverance and the attitude of never giving up generated strength for me throughout the years. I learned to observe and deduce from an objective point of view, I acquired the courage to do something different and assume the risks and responsibilities. I always try to think about where and what business I would be doing in 5 or 10 years and I plan what I could start doing to reach that goal. I would also like to mention that the other super important attitude in the face of difficulties is to be thankful! I am a Christian and thanking God every morning gives me the strength to endure and move forward in the face of any obstacles and hopeless situations.
To close, success is not a magic that comes with luck, but rather I would say it is like crossing a mountain on a bicycle. You must prepare and train your muscles, sense of direction, endurance and agility, then buy an optimal bicycle to be able to endure the climb and reach the top. I understand that you may not reach the top, but it is better to die trying than to do nothing.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am HakSung Kim, one of the owner and head chef of Brunch At Peony restaurant located in Suwanee GA.
Our establishment offers brunch food (breakfast and lunch) in a more European format while maintaining the typical American style format. offering distinguished dishes such as Dutch baby, Croque madame, Croissants Benedict and French style breakfast set. We also offer coffees made by our professional barista Micaela Hyun (insta: barista_mica) that provides an artistic side and unique flavor of the area.
Our restaurant is young, as we have only been open for 2 years, but thanks to our loyal customers we are growing day by day and we hope to expand soon. Obviously, customers are the most important thing for progress, but I am also extremely grateful and proud of each of my staff who played a fundamental role in achieving progress, along with my partner (Eduardo Kim) who fully supported me to get to where we are today.
As for the company’s vision, it should be noted that beyond being a typical brunch restaurant, we try to create a rustic and pleasant atmosphere by offering exceptional plating and friendly table service. That’s why we chose a more boutique style and we will continue to move forward with a dream that this business model will reach the state and then national level.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

The kitchen and service staff are essential in the gastronomic sector, and they are almost as equally important as our customers. The manager or owner must first recognize that they are human beings who hired them for the common good and not consider them as a simple work tool. To do this, the first step is to at least have a fluid conversation and know a little about each of their situations and their goals. The staff and the manager work hard to bring food to their homes and it’s assured they will spend more time with each other than their families, so the manager must strive to give them relief in their work environment, eliminating tensions and situations of mistreatment. Managers must recognize their merits and congratulate them, and listen to what they have to say. On the other hand, if it is possible, managers should try not to forget holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, giving them a present, which is a way of showing them that they are valuable. They must make them feel important and insignificant! Furthermore, the manager must always tell them the truth about the current situations, whether they are good or bad. These situations are inevitable, as there may be undesirable moments such as dismissal or schedule cuts for different reasons.
Lastly, as an owner and a manager, we have to show them that we work hard, I set the example that I am the leader, I make them feel that it is a solid business. I am always aware that there are several families in my hands, and I must be responsible for providing them with a secure future.
“If the manager is lazy, unfortunately, he will not last long with him.”

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

In our restaurant, on average, loyal customers take up more than 50 percent of our clients, and this percentage continues to increase over time. We try to connect with them by interacting with them and showing them our gratitude. Furthermore, when I develop new menus, I encourage them to try them for free so I can also get some genuine feedback from them. These interactions in which make our customers feel recognized, are necessary and to prosper as a restaurant.
Perhaps all this is obvious in every gastronomic sector, but the difference is that our sincerity is noted.
What I want to say to readers is to be sincere and honest with customers, treat them like friends or siblings, and look for a way to make them feel comfortable… I understand that everything can’t be done flawlessly. Sometimes, customers make disappointing criticisms despite your hard effort, but you will see that if you maintain a sincere stance, they will come back. (I had clients who left me unfair bad reviews, and after a while, they went back to their families acknowledging their mistakes). And finally, I would like to firmly say that at first, the financial situation of the business may not be as good as expected. Perhaps you may even be afraid that you might have to close
But even so, keep observing your clients. If you can recognize around 50 percent of them, I assure you that you are on the right track. So do not give up, because good things will come to you eventually.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brunch_at_peony
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079683387065
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/brunch-at-peony-suwanee

Image Credits

Chef Owner Hak Sung, Kim. Barista Sook Jin, Hyun (Micaela).