We were lucky to catch up with Monica Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Monica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?
I put together a team from my former employees at JooJoo Restaurant, which I previously managed. They ended up referring their friends, who also joined my team. However, almost everyone I hired came organically by asking if we were hiring.
I first look at relevant experience, and then I move on to the attitude and comprehensive profile of the applicant. This is important because I have four important pillars for being a part of Spoonful’s team which I make very clear:
1) Be a team player.
2) Cleanliness.
3) Communication.
4) Customer Service.
I believe being direct in these expectations allows me to have a better relationship with my team and helps everyone embody our mission here.
Monica, 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?
When I moved back home to St. Louis, I was frustrated that I couldn’t find anywhere to eat my favorite dessert, bingsu. Every major metropolitan city in the US has a cafe that serves bingsu, a Korean shaved snow-ice treat, and I could even find them during my travels abroad. So I took matters into my own hands and decided to serve what I love eating. In February 2022, I succeeded in opening Spoonful Desserts, St. Louis’ first Korean dessert cafe. In addition to bingsu, Spoonful sells bubble tea, coffee, and taiyaki (stuffed mochi waffles).
Any advice for managing a team?
Be very clear in your expectations for every employee, but also emphasize that you will be there for them as a boss and employer. On top of providing a competitive salary, we close Spoonful a few times a year to focus on team-building and bonding activities. If you’re going to work your team hard, make sure to let them play hard as well.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I lost my corporate job abroad, where I was living, due to COVID. Like many Americans, I was devastated at the loss of a stable career that I had put so much effort and energy into. Deflated, the situation landed me back home in St. Louis, where I was spinning in circles unsure of what to do with my life. However, while living and working at home I noticed a hole in the market for bingsu. Thus, I made moves to open Spoonful.
This was not easy due to the sky-high construction prices brought on by COVID. I finally opened in February 2022 to great success. However, since I want to grow, I know obstacles are an inifinity pool: as soon as you get over one hill, there are many more that you can foresee. The key is to take things little by little – a marathon, not a sprint.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.spoonfuldesserts.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spoonful_dessert_cafe/
- Yelp: https://www.facebook.com/spoonfuldessertcafe
Image Credits
Brian Baker Digital