David Liu is the founder of Kinjo, a 14 seat omakase counter and cocktail lounge in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Before launching Kinjo, David spent more than two decades building one of the internet’s most recognizable consumer brands as the co-founder and former CEO of The Knot. The wedding planning platform that helped shape the modern wedding industry. After taking the company public and eventually selling it, David found himself buying oyster farms in the Pacific Northwest and unexpectedly entering the restaurant business.

What started as a search for something more “analog” led David to oyster farming, investing in hospitality and eventually co-founding Kinjo, an affordable omakase concept designed to bring high-quality sushi experiences to local communities.

Today, David and his team are working to scale Kinjo beyond New York with plans to expand into cities across the country while using food as a way to build connection, community and cultural understanding.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Building The Knot from the early days of the internet to a public company
• Why David walked away from tech after 20 years
• Buying and operating one of the country’s largest oyster farms
• The surprising economics behind omakase restaurants
• Why David believes sushi can scale across America
• Building Kinjo and expanding into multiple cities
• Using hospitality and food to bridge cultural divides
• Lessons from working alongside his wife for decades

Resources & Links
Kinjo Website: https://www.kinjodumbo.com/
David Liu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davdliu

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Franco Noriega is the founder of Fellini Coffee, one of New York City’s most popular coffee brands, with more than six locations opened in under three years. Before launching Fellini, Franco had an unconventional career path that included competing as a professional swimmer, qualifying for the Olympics, modeling for brands like Dolce & Gabbana, studying acting in New York and opening restaurants across the city.

After years in the restaurant industry building Baby Brasa, Franco discovered an overlooked corner space that had been used as a trash room for decades. That tiny 15 square foot space eventually became the first Fellini Coffee location in the West Village.

What started as a small luxury coffee window quickly turned into one of the city’s most recognizable and fastest-growing coffee brands. Today, Fellini has expanded across Manhattan with locations in Soho, Chelsea, Meatpacking, the Upper West Side and Upper East Side with even more growth planned.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Qualifying for the Olympics as a teenager
• Going from professional swimming to modeling and acting
• Becoming the face of Dolce & Gabbana with no modeling experience
• Opening Baby Brasa and nearly going bankrupt
• How the pandemic unexpectedly transformed the business
• Turning a former trash room into the first Fellini Coffee
• Building a luxury coffee brand in one of the most competitive markets in the world
• Scaling Fellini to multiple NYC locations without investors
• Using AI to streamline operations and growth

Resources & Links
Franco Noriega Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franconorhal/
Fellini Coffee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fellinicoffee/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Dave Thibodeau is the founder of Ska Brewing, one of the early pioneers of the American craft beer movement. He started brewing beer in high school after discovering his dad’s old homebrewing logbook, which eventually led to launching Ska Brewing in the mid-90s.

Over the next 30 years, Dave and his partners grew the company from a small warehouse operation into a regional craft brewery producing tens of thousands of barrels annually and generating millions in revenue.

Along the way, they built their own manufacturing facility, launched a distribution company, opened a taproom and restaurant and experimented with new concepts. Including a brewstillery that famously opened and shut down the same day COVID hit.

Today, after decades of building the business, Dave has sold Ska Brewing and continues to help lead the company through its next chapter.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Starting a brewery from a homebrewing hobby
• Scaling from 78 barrels to 30,000 barrels per year
• The realities of distribution and shrinking margins
• Opening a brewstillery and shutting down in 71 minutes
• How COVID impacted the craft beer and hospitality industry
• Managing multiple revenue streams in one business
• Why Dave decided to sell after 30 years

Dave also shares the lessons he’s learned building a company over three decades, the biggest mistakes he made with contracts and scaling and why running a brewery is far more complex than most people think.

Resources & Links

Dave Thibodeau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skabrewdave/

Dave Thibodeau: Dave@skabrewing.com/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Draymond Washington is the founder of Three Cities Social Club, a Chicago-based membership club designed to help adults make real friends and build a meaningful community.

Before launching the business, Draymond played professional soccer and later worked as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. After moving to Chicago without knowing anyone, he struggled to find connection through traditional social clubs and networking events. He started hosting small gatherings, book clubs and game nights to bring people together.

Draymond hosted more than 90 events in a single year while still working full time, slowly building a community that proved people were hungry for genuine connection.

Today, Three Cities Social Club has hundreds of members, multiple locations in Chicago and dozens of monthly events designed to help people meet and build lasting relationships.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why it’s harder than ever for adults to make friends
• Hosting 90+ events while working a full-time job
• Turning community building into a profitable business
• Opening physical locations for the business
• Why social clubs are becoming a major trend in modern cities
• The future of businesses focused on building community

Draymond also shares the lessons he’s learned building a company from scratch, the challenges of running a membership-based business and why real-world community may be one of the most valuable things people have today.

Resources & Links

Three Cities Social Club Website: https://www.threecitiessocial.com/

Three Cities Social Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threecities.social/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Helen Zhang is the co-founder of Ziggy’s Roman Cafe, a new restaurant in Dumbo, Brooklyn designed to solve a problem many parents have. How do you go out to eat with kids and still enjoy a great meal?

Before opening Ziggy’s, Helen spent more than 15 years in hospitality PR and brand marketing. She also worked at Tend, helping the company scale from just a few locations to dozens across the East Coast.

But after becoming a parent, Helen and her husband, co-founder of the iconic cocktail bar Employees Only, realized something was missing in the restaurant. A restaurant that combined serious food, great drinks and a family-friendly environment.

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe was created out of that idea. A neighborhood restaurant serving Roman-inspired pizzas and pastas with craft cocktails, community events and even a small play space upstairs so parents can enjoy dinner while kids stay entertained.

In this episode, Helen shares the story behind launching Ziggy’s and what it’s really like opening a restaurant in New York City.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Leaving a 15-year career in PR and marketing to start a restaurant
• Building a restaurant inspired by parenthood
• Why community building was the core of Ziggy’s marketing strategy
• Hosting local events and pop-ups before the restaurant even opened
• Using storefront signage, social media and email lists to build buzz
• The unexpected challenges of opening a restaurant
• Why starting with a simple menu helped the team operate more efficiently
• Working with your spouse as a co-founder
• Balancing entrepreneurship, family life and risk

If you’re looking to open a restaurant, especially with a concept not yet around, this episode has an honest look at what it takes.

Resources & Links

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe Website: https://www.ziggysromancafe.com/

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziggysromancafe/

Helen Zhang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenzhangnyc

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Vincent Finazzo is the founder of Riverwards Produce, a neighborhood grocery market in Philadelphia that started in a 20x20 garage and has grown into a multi-location business doing nearly $16 million in annual sales.

Vincent studied art in Chicago, moved to Philly to work in museums and took a job at Whole Foods as a janitor just to pay the bills. Fifteen years later, after working his way up to produce buyer, brokering truckloads of produce across the country and waking up at 3am to deliver vegetables out of a Honda Civic, he turned a pop-up market into one of the most respected independent grocery brands in the country.

In this episode, Vincent breaks down the real economics of grocery, why he refuses to offer delivery, and how constant reinvestment fueled Riverwards’ growth.

We talk about:

• Starting a retail business with $500 and no investors
• How 200 pumpkins sparked growth
• Going from $35K in sales to millions in annual revenue
• The reality of 3-4% profit margins in grocery
• Negotiating a below-market lease that made the first store possible
• Designing a store people want to spend time in
• The logistics of managing 4,000+ SKUs
• How social media became his only marketing channel
• Why he believes physical retail if done right is the future

Vincent also shares lessons on starting before you’re ready, persistence, discipline and staying true to your core motivations.

Resources & Links

Riverwards Produce Website: https://www.riverwardsproduce.com/

Riverwards Produce Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riverwardsproduce/?hl=en

Vincent Finazzo: https://www.instagram.com/vincentfinazzo/?hl=en

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Emily Schildt is the founder of Pop-Up Grocer, a grocery store designed to help emerging, better-for-you brands reach customers. What started as a 10-day experiment in New York City has grown into a permanent store in Greenwich Village with national pop-ups and major retail partnerships.

Before launching Pop-Up Grocer, Emily built her career in food and beverage marketing, starting at Chobani in its earliest days. She saw how a small brand could reshape an entire category and how many promising brands struggled not with product but with access to shelf space and consumer trial.

In 2019, Emily rented a downtown NYC space for just 10 days, spent roughly $15K on rent and launched the first Pop-Up Grocer with nearly 100 brands on shelf. From there, Pop-Up Grocer expanded into 30-day pop-ups across multiple cities and raised just over $2M to pursue a permanent location. Emily opened Pop-Up Grocer’s flagship store in 2023.

In this episode, Emily shares the realities of building Pop-Up Grocer. From writing her first terrifying rent check to learning how to run a seven-day-a-week retail operation and finding confidence as a founder over time.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Starting a career at Chobani
• Why emerging brands struggle with trial but not product quality
• Spending~$15K to launch a 10-day pop-up with no retail experience
• How Pop-Up Grocer made money from day one
• Turning pop-ups into a scalable business model
• Raising $2M to open a permanent NYC store
• Paying $30K/month in rent and why it made sense
• Transitioning from pop-ups to full-time retail

If you are interested in the intersection of CPG and retail, this episode is for you.

Resources & Links

Pop-Up Grocer Website: https://popupgrocer.com/

Pop-Up Grocer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/popup.grocer/

Emily Schildt: https://www.instagram.com/emilyschildt

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Stephan Courseau is the founder of Travis Street Hospitality and some of Dallas’ most beloved French-inspired restaurants including Le Bilboquet Dallas, Knox Bistro and Georgie. Stephan arrived in New York City from Paris in 1987 with $500 and barely knowing english.

He started as a dishwasher and talked his way into Le Bilboquet NYC and worked under legends like Jean-Georges Vongerichten. In 2013 Stephan moved his family to Dallas to open a small 2,000 sq ft restaurant. Within a few years, Le Bilboquet Dallas grew from a struggling in it’s first winter into a $6M+ annual business that helped establish Dallas as a serious dining city.

Today, Stephan oversees a team of long-tenured operators and a hospitality group rooted in the philosophy that “the guest should always feel welcome, but the customer is not always right”. He breaks down how he rebuilt a failed opening, what most restaurateurs get wrong about service and how Dallas became the unlikely home for his success.

Stephan also shares the unfiltered side of hospitality and how to survive long enough to get your one big break.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Arriving in NYC with $500, no English and landing a dishwasher job
• How a chance encounter led him to Le Bilboquet and a career in fine dining
• Working with Jean-Georges and learning the difference between good and world-class
  Leaving New York after 20 years and why Dallas became the right next chapter
• Raising under $1M to open Le Bilboquet Dallas and finding investors who cared about community
• Surviving a disastrous first winter and rebuilding a restaurant “one guest at a time”
• Why “the customer is not always right” and how to uphold integrity without ego
• Advice for future restaurateurs: start small, control everything, stay humble

If you're dreaming about opening a restaurant or not sure where to begin with little to nothing, this episode is for you.

Resources & Links

Travis Street Hospitality Website: tshdallas.com

Travis Street Hospitality Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisstreethospitality/?hl=en

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/