Interview with Bradford Kim, chef/partner, and Olivia Maeng, co-owner
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: Bradford Kim: My career in the food industry encompassed working and consulting for Innovative Dining Group and SBE/Katsuya. To complement my corporate experiences, I attended California Sushi Academy to be trained as a sushi chef. While working for IDG and SBE, I was a specialist in food costing/financial models and menu engineering. My most recent experience in working in the LA Garment Industry running a business has helped prepare me for running my own small business. Overall, my wife (Olivia Maeng) and I have a great passion for food and enjoy amazing dining experiences. We also wanted to provide a wholesome childhood for our two young sons, which motivated us to move from Los Angeles to the Denver area.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: Hand roll concepts exist in many of parts of the world such as London, Brazil, Los Angeles and New York. We thought it would be a perfect fit for the Denver area for those who enjoy sushi but also for those who are new to the cuisine as it is still very approachable. We stand out in this category as we want to provide a high-quality product at an affordable price point. We strive to use the freshest ingredients in a very simple way letting the fish shine.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: We enjoy most seeing the customers enjoy their meal and seeing that our employees are happy to come to work. It is exciting when someone who has not experienced sushi try our food and really enjoy it and want to come back.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: Our biggest challenge so far has been implementing controls and processes in a short amount of time to make sure that we are providing a high-quality experience to our patrons.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: We aren’t your typical hand rolls that one experiences at most sushi restaurants. People are learning it is more fun to eat sushi in our hand roll form as opposed to the traditional nigiri or conical hand rolls. They are also very surprised to walk into our restaurant and they don’t expect the restaurant to be so modern, bright, minimalist with just the counter seating, no tables and no table service — just fast, friendly sushi.
Profile
Business: Cherry Hills Sushi Co.
Address: 1400 E. Hampden Ave., Suite 110, Englewood
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5-8 p.m. Sunday
Founded: 2016
Contact: 303-761-1559,
Employees: 7
