We were lucky to catch up with Christy LoPresto recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christy, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?

With the restaurant industry, it is all about keeping payroll and product costs low. I find this to be the most challenging without sacrificing service and quality. With inflation now and labor cost going up in NYC it is defiantly harder to turn a profit without raising menu prices or sacrificing the quality of service/ product with less labor on board.

Most restaurants have been forced to raise prices on food and beverage to keep up with the rising labor and product costs.

Christy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have been an Entrepreneur for 13 years, with a background in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. I currently Own and Co-own several restaurants throughout NYC. My most recent project and new restaurant venture Kinn, has just opened in Chelsea NYC, a Thai food concept that serves authentic Thai food in a fast casual setting.

Apart from being a restauranteur, I am a Board Certified Natural Wellness Practitioner. I have a product line called Soakwell, which I established in 2017. I create aromatherapy products and bath products that are designed for self restoration.

I love the process of creation in all forms. Creating new concepts or products and seeing them take form is so rewarding. I enjoy creating things that make people feel good. Whether it’s an aromatherapy candle that brings a sense of peace or creating a space that brings people together to create memories forever. These are the things that I strive for.

For 2024, there are a few new business ventures and products that are in the works. I am looking forward to creating new things this coming year, so please stay tuned!

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

My brand Soakwell is an online based store. I sell directly from my platform. I have used other platforms before but found that it did not make sense for my brand, between extra costs and shipping methods.

The pros to using other platforms is their wider reach in audience and network. The cons are paying additional fees and dealing with their shipping methods. The pros to using your own platform to sell directly to your consumer is not having to pay any additional fees or percentages and having the freedom to create your own time line for shipping. A con for selling from your own platform is having to constantly work on creating your online presence to reach a wider customer base.

Some people have great success selling through platforms like Amazon or Etsy and they add those extra costs into the pricing of their products. For me I did not want to add any additional cost to my retail pricing. I want my products to be obtainable for all so that my customer base can use my products more frequently.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One thing I have learned through being an Entrepreneur is that change has to be constant. Whether it’s changing menus, employees, products or locations. Adapting has to be embraced. When one thing does not work you have to change it for another.

Not every idea works, not every product launches well, not every employee is great. It’s through trial and error that you find the right team and the right formula.

I launched Soakwell in 2017 and I have rebranded Soakwell 3 times. My first 2 trademarks did not go through and I was very distraught. All I wanted to do was get these products into people’s hands. Soakwell was Soak, then Soak Bathing Rituals and now Soakwell.
Looking back now, I am glad I never gave up on my vision because through each rebrand my vision got better. My final rebrand Soakwell launched Dec 2019 and I am very happy with where we are now.

I plan to add more products to my product line and we are looking into partnering with certain brick and mortar locations.

Contact Info:

• Website: EatKinn.com & Soakwell.com
• Instagram:Christy_lopresto728
• Linkedin: Christy LoPresto

Image Credits
All other pics provided by Christy LoPresto