We recently connected with David Yoshimura and have shared our conversation below.

David, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Nisei means second generation in Japanese, born outside of Japan. I am half Japanese and half American, so the name fits perfectly for my restaurant and concept. The cuisine at Nisei is not so much a “fusion” of two culture, but a personal reflection of my experience as a Japanese American. Dinner at Nisei includes as many local farms and producers as possible, but the dishes at Nisei are inherently Japanese. I intentionally try to support other Asian American farms, producers and artisans to bridge the concept together with the community.

David, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve always worked in the restaurant industry my entire life; from dishwasher, bus boy, prep cook, culinary student and eventually chef. I think I’ve always known that I wanted to be a chef, ever since I was a teenager I have used food to express myself. As a Japanese American, born in the USA I’ve always yearned to learn more about my own heritage. Therefore, I traveled to and worked in Japan on and off several times. After making the decision to open a Japanese forward restaurant, I felt closer to my own heritage than ever before. I’m proud that my restaurant is a full expression of my experience as a Japanese American and when guests come to dine that can gain insight into my world.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2019, I had everything lined up perfectly to open a brand new restaurant in San Francisco; investor, space, team, and concept. Of course in 2020, everything went out the window and I lost everything. After a couple months, I picked up where I left off and pivoted my entire plan. I did what most restaurants did and began selling to-go food, bento boxes. I kept the hype around my potential restaurant fresh by executing outdoor tasting menus. I lost my investor, so I crowd-funded restaurant from friends, family, and small business loans. Life threw me a curve ball, but I rolled with the punches and now I the sole owner of my own restaurant and bar.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

At Nisei, I consider morale a high priority. I’m a strong believer in high communication between all members of the team through frequent team meetings, outings and check ins. Having everyone on the same page pointed toward a collective goal is extremely important for morale. I believe that maintaining high morale can be accomplished by considering your employee’s goals like a venn diagram. Within one circle you have your employee’s personal goals and ambitions, and within the second circle you have your own goals and ambitions for the company. The part of the diagram that overlaps is where morale can be established through a common goal that can benefit both parties. I like to use this example on a daily basis at Nisei.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.restaurantnisei.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nisei_sf

Image Credits

@xninjason
@adahlia_cole