Today we’d like to introduce you to Juwon Lee
Juwon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My Unexpected Journey into the Restaurant Business
I opened a restaurant to make money, like any other business owner. It wasn’t my dream rather it was my wife’s. As a realtor, I had always advised clients against opening restaurants, knowing how brutal the industry could be. Yet, I failed to discourage my wife. So, against my own advice, I opened one.
Opening a restaurant is one thing. Running one is something else. Unless you’re willing to hire experienced kitchen staffs and manager trusting them to run, you have to know every aspect of the business. Kitchen systems, customer service, purchasing, cooking, everything. I wasn’t ready. I assumed, how hard could it be?
From day one, it was a disaster. I invited friends I had known for over 20 years, hoping to make a great first impression. Instead, they left frustrated after waiting over an hour and half for their meals. Cooking for friends at home is nothing like running a professional kitchen. At home, you can make one great dish, and your friends might even encourage you to open a restaurant. But the challenge isn’t about making a single amazing meal, it’s about making it consistently, under pressure in a set amount of time.
I was running the restaurant while trying to learn restaurant business. Without fully understanding the ins and outs, I couldn’t even tell if my staff was working efficiently. The biggest questions in my mind were What does ‘delicious’ really mean? How do you create a consistently great dish? How do you make sure anyone in the kitchen can replicate it? I thought I knew, but I knew nothing. These questions became the foundation of everything from menu development, ingredient sourcing, kitchen workflow, staff training and more.
From the moment I signed the lease, I was losing money. Advertising too soon before fixing these fundamental problems would only speed up failure. So, I turned my restaurant into a testing ground. I refined my menu items in real time, focusing on customer complaints. One memorable complaint came from a customer who said her whole chicken only contained white meat. Since then, we’ve started cutting chickens into clearly identifiable pieces. We also introduced a dark meat option, featuring only legs and thighs. It took nearly 10 months to perfect my batter for thin crispy Korean fried chicken. Developing sauces was even harder. Simply mixing ingredients like in a cookbook didn’t work. I had to start from scratch by understanding how each ingredient reacted to different cooking methods, how they interacted, how flavors changed at every stage. As a student, you study to pass exams. As a struggling restaurant owner, you study to survive while paying year’s worth of tuition every month. Luckily, I survived.
After a year and a half of struggle, I finally started gaining more repeat customers. By December 2019, my revenue grew enough to break even. I was finally making a little money.
Then, three months later, the government ordered all businesses to shut down. The COVID era had begun.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Everything seemed to be falling into place until the government ordered all businesses to shut down. Both of my business, karaoke and restaurant, income sources dried up, but rent was still due. Restaurants were allowed to operate for takeout only, but orders were scarce. I had no choice but to let go of my employees, keeping only one. My wife and I took on everything from dishwashing, cooking, managing orders and more. It was exhausting, but we learned more about our business than ever before.
Little by little, more customers came for takeout. Many thanked us for staying open and urged us to keep going. A huge relief came when our new landlord agreed to buy back my two five-year lease extensions in exchange for five months of rent.
It felt like starting over, but this time, I had a stronger menu, a better system, and a real understanding of how to run a restaurant kitchen. Gradually, we built a loyal customer base, and they brought friends and family.
Two years ago, when the pandemic was over, my wife had returned to her career. She’s a neuroscientist working at one of the UT bio labs. I was ready to sell the restaurant. I was mentally and physically drained. Then, news came that the new landlord planned to demolish the building for an apartment complex. Without a long-term lease, selling the restaurant wasn’t an option.
As you get older, opportunities become scarcer. I started this journey in my mid-40s. Now, I’m almost in my mid-50s. Maybe something is keeping me from walking away from giving up everything I’ve learned. Hiwings is my opportunity to start again, somewhere new. This time, I’m 100% ready.
As you know, we’re big fans of hiwings. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We specialize in Korean Fried Chicken. hiwings is proud to serve you truly delicious and fresh chicken cooked with the most carefully selected (and the best!) ingredients. Our fried chicken defines delicious. Come taste what true delicious means.
We are proud to be the best Korean Fried Chicken in Texas
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I started a business to make money, like any other business owner. I’m happy that I’m still in business and making money now. I’m happy that I can take time off on Mondays to focus on photography, completely forgetting about the restaurant for a short period of time. I’m even happy that I have Trigger Finger in my right middle finger—it gives me a genuine excuse to use my left hand more balancing with my right hand. I’m happy that my doctor is so busy that my appointment is a month away, giving me even more time to strengthen my left hand. I may look irritated and exhausted late at night, but deep down, I’m happy that I can go home before 1 a.m. I am happy when I lock the restaurant door at the end of the day, less happy when I unlock the door to start working though.
Any business owner who has survived the hardest parts of their journey will understand that just knowing your business didn’t go under makes everything feel a little happier.
Thanks everyone for your love and support!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hiwingsatx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiwingsatx/?hl=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hi-wings-austin
Image Credits
Juwon Lee
