Jimmy Chim

Tag: Small business

  • 30 Years of Pool

    For a while before the pandemic, I was into playing billiards. This hobby came to a halt when covid hit since all the pool halls were closed.

    In early 2021, a pool hall called Samwon Billiard in Oakland Koreatown was reopening. I texted Kevin, my pool buddy, to see if he was interested. Kevin and I hadn’t met in person for over a year. Both of us hadn’t yet been vaccinated at that point. We deliberated but quickly decided that the risk was worth it as long as we wore a mask. It had been too long since we last played.

    Once we decided to go, I grew excited. “I’m actually shaking. This is a dream lol.” Kevin texted back.

    Thomas, the owner of the billiard business, is a mellow, soft-spoken Korean man in his sixties. The pool hall has been around since the mid-90s. I asked Thomas why he went into this business.

    “The previous owner missed rent and left. The landlord was looking for someone to take over,” he said. “I was somewhat keen on billiards. A pool business didn’t seem hard to operate. But boy, that street was truly scary in the 90s… lots of crimes and gun violence back then.”

    Thomas often checked in on his customers. He would clean the tables himself, offered snacks, and–if you were up for it–show you to how to play Korean pool on the table without pockets.

    A year and a half ago, Kevin shared with Thomas that he would leave the Bay Area and move to New York, so it could be a while until he visited again. On Kevin’s last visit, Thomas bought us Korean dinners with galbi, japchae, and chicken. He offered his private soju for farewell.

    Recently, I heard that Samwon is closing next month. The area will be rebuilt as apartments. I also heard Thomas is happy to take a break after working hard for 30 years.

  • Secret Broth Ingredients

    There is a family-run Vietnamese restaurant not far from my house called Super Super Restaurant. I have been going there for years. The owner, his wife, and his kids work at the restaurant.

    Super Super’s menu has less than 20 items. Pho noodles, banh mi sandwiches, and rice plates are the classics. Their #1 noodle soup is my favorite. The pho broth is the best of all the Vietnamese restaurants in the area.

    When I went for lunch a few weeks ago, the owner took my orders with his usual big smile. As we chatted, I asked how long he had been in business.

    “Ohhhh…this location for over eight years. I started cooking in Vietnam in 1978, and I moved to America in 1982,” he said, “I have been cooking for over 40 years.”

    There it was—the secret to Super Super’s amazing broth: forty years of work and dedication.

  • The Cost of Delicious Lentils

    Earlier this week, we went to an Ethiopian restaurant nearby. Like our last visit two years ago, Shita, an Ethiopian woman in her fifties, greeted us with a warm, soft smile and hurried back into the kitchen. She was the only person working. Taking phone orders, cooking, serving — it was all her.

    The chickpea stew, lentils, and spicy mushrooms came out piping hot. As we enjoyed our meal, Shita confided she would likely close the business in the coming months. Rent had increased substantially. The kitchen would flood at times. The landlord was difficult to deal with: he refused to fix the plumbing issues and other damages on the property, and they were in multiple disputes. She fixed some issues on her own and paid for a contractor out of her pocket for other bigger problems, essentially making her work for nothing for days.

    Even though the quality of her food was outstanding (4.5+ stars on Google Maps and Yelp with hundreds of reviews)—Shita clearly took pride in her food—business had declined due to covid and inflation. A month ago, a customer stole her iPhone along with a credit card processor when she was working in the kitchen. For the next two days, customers couldn’t reach her (some grew concerned and checked on her in person), and she lost more business.

    “I have managed this business alone for eight years,” she said. “I’m tired. I think I’m ready to move on. It’s okay. The worst case is that I will live with less. I have my family. I have no problem being happy. I will figure something out. Maybe I will go back to the farmer’s market.”

    It’s rare to get a glimpse of the people working behind a mom-and-pop business. Shita strikes me as someone who believes. She takes risks, works hard when no one else pays attention, and persists even when the outcome is uncertain.

    Once I understand the real cost Shita bears to share her food with the world, the price I pay for my lunch is clearly too low.