We recently connected with Justin Park and have shared our conversation below.

Justin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents have the typical immigrant story. They moved to America in their early twenties with little to no money and survived without knowing the language. Though a lot of people have an idea of Asian “tiger-parenting”, I think I was lucky in that my parents learned early on that life was too short to be unhappy. Were they strict? Sure, but they hammered in that my happiness should take priority over everything else. They didn’t push as much because they could see that I had drive. Once I started my restaurant ventures, support became their new job. Mind you, they were vehemently against the restaurant industry, but could see the potential behind my blind and ego-fueled daydreaming. Once I started show-running, it was the same thing: support. If there’s one thing that my parents did right, it was showing love, trust, and patience to their young inexperienced son.

Justin, 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?

The restaurant industry was my first passion. I cooked for survival during my college years, and took a liking to the culinary world. After graduating with a degree I knew I wasn’t going to use, I ended up as a stagiaire at the Top of the Rock under Chef Gregory James. After some time doing the fine-dining circuit I decided that I wanted to bring something that reminded me of my hometown (Los Angeles). I think at the time we were officially the first true Korean-style pub in Arizona. Drunken Tiger hit it’s stride year two and we’ve been a community staple ever since. Arizona has been growing at a rapid pace, and the restaurant has allowed me to meet and collaborate with many talented people in the community over the years. Though COVID and the economy have made running a small business difficult, we’ve been trudging along because we want to get to the other side with everyone else.

I am also part of an amazing team running an Anime/pop-culture show called UwU Con in the valley. I’m a huge nerd at heart, so I thought this was something fun and cool to do with fun and cool people. This idea started as a themed café but exploded into something that I never expected to be part of. Everything from voice actor meet/greets, food, panels, vendors, art, etc. If you and your friends (or family) need a weekend doing nerdy things with cool people check us out! We are now into year three heading to the Westworld of Scottsdale this November 1-3,

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Rather than some strategy, I honestly think it’s simple word-of-mouth and community perception. We live in an age of social media and instant gratification. Everything is criticized and everyone is a critic. Businesses’ can spend thousands paying Facebook, Yelp, or Instagram for advertising, yet it doesn’t always seem to convert to tables in a restaurant. It’s not about hype. Hype dies down. I truly think it’s about honest good food and vibes. There’s a reason people flock to hole-in-the-walls or lesser-known restaurants. There’s a reason people gatekeep. How many times have you seen this review: “It’s so highly rated, but when I went it was whatever” or “I don’t see what the hype is about”. Most people who are chronically online like flashy things, gimmicky dishes, and aesthetic environments. Our mentality is that we hope you are full, (safely) drunk and enjoyed your time here. If you come back we hope you bring a new friend. I think it goes much further than spending 500$ on needless Yelp fees.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The name of the book escapes me, but I did read a Korean book in which they spoke about trust. Trust in your employees, your concept, and above all yourself. With any business, it starts with your belief in it. I always say that there is a bit of ego that goes into a new business. You have to have a big enough ego that you have to truly tell yourself that whatever you’re about to get into is going to bear fruit. However, that also falls onto how much trust you have in yourself. If you second-guess yourself constantly, there’s no way you’d be able to move forward. If you let every single naysayer affect your decisions you wouldn’t be able to move forward. The way I manage is more centered around the idea that I need to trust that my decisions are the best as they can be. You then work with the others around you to mold that idea into it’s best possible form.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.drunkentigeraz.com/menu.html
• Instagram: @drunkentigeraz
• Facebook: Drunken Tiger Mesa, AZ
• Yelp: Drunken Tiger
• Other: https://www.uwucon.com

Image Credits

Corey Hour
Mark Susan
Shanna Fujii