By Alexander Tran
Fall 2014 Kaplan Award Winner
Seven owners, 27 years. The small teriyaki shop in Des Moines did not have a good reputation for prolonged success, and for a moment the current owners didn’t believe that could change.
James and Diane Ha were barely breaking even. They questioned if the large loan they took out in order to take over New Tokyo Teriyaki was worth it. Thoughts of giving up their dreams of owning a restaurant were present more than ever.
They could have easily quit. But talk to them about that moment now, and they’ll give you a smile of pride and joy.
From quilt shops to florists, small businesses occupy the majority of Marine View Drive in the Marina District of Des Moines. The relaxed small town vibe these businesses give off compliments the picturesque view of Puget Sound from the Des Moines Marina, which is just a few minutes’ walk away.
Perhaps James and Diane Ha personify this vibe best.
Walk into their establishment and you’ll see at least one, if not both, of their bright, smiling faces. They’ll give you a hearty greeting before you’re able to take in the restaurant’s intricate Japanese ornaments, humorous signs (check out the “families are like fudge” sign in the picture below) and Frank Sinatra’s serenading voice playing in the background.
The walls of New Tokyo Teriyaki are filled with a great number of decorations, so customers never have a shortage of items to look at. Check out the “families are like fudge” sign; that’ll give you an idea of the Ha family’s sense of humor.
What you will immediately notice is an aroma of a sweet yet savory teriyaki sauce that fills the air. A recipe formed through many years of hard work, optimism and a bit of help, the house-made teriyaki sauce is symbolic of the very establishment that serves it.
Born in South Korea, James Ha immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 14 years old. Coming as a teenager, the culture shock James experienced was difficult, but has helped to shape the values he holds in running New Tokyo Teriyaki with Diane.
James’ parents put him into school right away, although he couldn’t speak a word of English. With no ESL programs at the time, James struggled. He was usually last to be picked for PE basketball teams. He didn’t do homework for his first few months there, because he never understood that there was any homework.
“I was thrown into the jungle,” said James. “I had to roll with the punches.”
James admitted his instinctive response to bullies that mocked him was to fight back, but something inside of him couldn’t.
“I actually learned to smile in those moments,” said James. “Maybe that helped me build my business philosophy – that if you come to my business, I’ll try the best I can to communicate with you and take care of you.”
His business ideals expanded while helping at his family’s small grocery store in downtown Seattle. Working as a cashier, janitor and everything in between, James began to form his definition of “customer service.”
“The customer is always right,” said James with a large grin, chuckling lightly.
James later had a stable job in the import-export business, but something inside of him said he should enter the restaurant industry and eventually become the owner of a restaurant.
“So I dropped everything,” said James. “Of course, my family went nuts.”
Even with their skepticism, the family ended up supporting James and his ambitions. After managing a sandwich shop on Pier 66 and then a teppanyaki restaurant with Diane, an old friend approached the couple with a failing teriyaki restaurant in Des Moines.
With seven previous owners over its 27-year history, the teriyaki shop had never seen much success. However, James and Diane took a leap of faith, taking out a large loan in order to buy the shop.
Their first two years were a struggle, as they were barely able to break even. The previous owner did not leave his recipes, so they created their menu from scratch. Also, they had to enlist the help of their three daughters because they didn’t have enough money to hire workers.
“Our oldest daughter was our first employee and we’re really in debt to her,” said James, who then closed his eyes and smiled. “But because she worked for free, she was her own boss. If she didn’t want to work, she’d simply say she was going home.”
James burst into a rambunctious laughter. “She was wonderful,” he said.
The couple continued to work tirelessly, striving to keep their menu prices low while keeping food quality high in hopes of bringing in more customers. After the first two years, their teriyaki shop had created a loyal customer base and began to profit.
“At that moment, we were thinking that ‘this can actually happen, this can work.’ We just needed to keep doing what we were doing,” said James.
James and Diane are fortunate that business has been “very good” since then. They’ve been able to renovate New Tokyo Teriyaki’s old interior into a lively space that matches their eclectic personalities. They’re also now able to staff two full-time workers in the kitchen, allowing their three daughters to focus on their dreams of careers in education.
“Now we can feed three families,” James said proudly, referencing his own family along with the families of the two workers.
Even with their success, the duo continues to look for ways to improve their current menu beyond teriyaki, katsu and other “standard” teriyaki-shop fare. But there’s one dish that probably won’t change, or at least in the near future.
“The spicy chicken teriyaki is our most popular,” boasted James. “It takes care of our customers, and we’re proud of it.”
A copious amount of tender, grilled chicken slathered in a red, robust spicy teriyaki sauce, James says it’s something about the diverse contrast of flavors (spicy and savory, yet sweet and sour) that keeps customers coming back for it.
It’s somewhat surprising that the spicy chicken is their most popular, as James says initially many people shy away from it.
“Much of Western cuisine has one flavor, one dimension, so our customers are usually reluctant to try the spicy chicken because it’s multi-dimensional like much of Asian cuisine,” said James. “But they end up loving it, the contrast of flavors.
James wishes to open a teppanyaki restaurant in the future, preferably staying in the Des Moines area. He’s grateful that he and Diane have been able to hold their business and hopes for continued success, but James isn’t one to get too caught up in the future.
“I love golf. I enjoy golf. In golf, we have a saying: ‘One shot at a time.’” said James. “If I could make some kind of correlation [to the restaurant], when you focus on the trophy at the end, you’re going to lose sight in what’s in front of you at that moment.”
“Put all of yourself and your energy into that one shot, that one moment, and you’ll be satisfied with the results.”
