How I Built Resilience: Vivian Ku, Restaurateur

How I Built This · 25 Mar 2021 · 23m

What this episode covers

Vivian Ku, owner of the Los Angeles restaurants Pine and Crane, Joy, and the breakfast pop-up Today Starts Here, discusses navigating the pandemic and rising anti-Asian violence. She explains how she pivoted from planned expansion to a lease-for-lease-break pop-up model to retain her team and maintain cash flow. Ku also reflects on her family's agricultural background, her grandfather's influence on her career choices, and the challenges of securing PPP loans and managing staff morale during uncertainty.

Mentioned

Companies
U.S. Bank, NPR
Products
Pine and Crane, Joy, Today Starts Here

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