Family & friendship are important in business

We get emotional sometimes,” says Jackie Chua. “The company has fixed policies on loans but when we listen to the circumstances and realize it is for their children, we can’t help but feel for them and give from our own pockets. We can understand the situation so well because we are mothers too.”

While some employers prefer to deal with their staff in a more detached and businesslike manner, friends and business partners Jackie Chua, Lynette Jao Chan and Rosie Tan Uy of Kimono Ken prefer a more personal approach. Small wonder then that many of their pioneer employees from their first outlet prefer to stay and work for them and their growing chain of Japanese-themed restaurants.

"My daughters were pre-school classmates of Jackie’s daughter at the Immaculate Conception Academy (ICA) eight years ago," says Lynette, sharing that she and Jackie became good friends while waiting for their children to be dismissed from school. Numerous cups of coffee shared and a growing friendship allowed them to discover that their common dream was to own a coffee shop. "In fact, we already considered buying a franchise," relates Lynette, but the plan didn’t push through.

This did not deter the newfound friends and they decided to put up a restaurant instead. They invited Rosie who has some background in the culinary arts, and is Jackie’s friend from the time they were both kindergarten classmates at St. Stephen’s school. And, since all three ladies enjoyed Japanese cuisine, a Japanese-themed restaurant was the unanimous venture.

The partnership seemed fortuitous and everything fell into place. "Very good people unexpectedly offered to help us," recalls Lynette. Their architect was the parent of a daughter’s classmate who charged them very minimal rates, while the furniture supplier was another ICA parent who was eager to help them out. The first Kimono Ken opened for business in November 2004 at Blue Wave on President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay City. Today, the restaurant has branches on Tomas Morato, Quezon City and at The Block of SM North EDSA. The Kimono Ken restaurants continue to acquire a growing following for their delicious Japanese dishes such as spicy maguro roll, sea urchin sushi, sashimi, tempura, salads and rice toppings.

"Putting up the restaurant was difficult at first," admits Rosie who still runs a travel agency from her home. The hands-on moms had less time to spend with their families, as they spent long hours at their fledgling restaurant to attend to various chores. Although their husbands were supportive and encouraged their entrepreneurial endeavor, they still missed spending as much time to bond with their children. "My daughters and husband shared little jokes that got them all laughing," reminisces Lynette. "And since I didn’t understand what it was all about, there were instances in the past when I felt a bit sad and left out." To be able to concentrate on family and Kimono Ken, Lynette and Jackie gave up their garments and insurance businesses respectively.

However, the friends persevered and were eventually able to devise a routine that enabled them to spend longer time with their growing families. "We are now able to anticipate the tasks that need to be done and accomplish these in the right sequence so that no time and effort is wasted," says Jackie. Throughout the years, they have found reliable suppliers who deliver only the best ingredients. Likewise, they have been able to train their staff so that efficiency is maximized. "Now that we have more stores, we involve our key personnel in decision-making," adds Rosie. It helps that their workforce is a reliable and dedicated group that can be depended upon to abide by the system that is in place.

What can ensure a successful restaurant business? Aside from the enjoyment of good food and perseverance, the Kimono Ken owners agree that honesty to suppliers, employees, customers and other business partners is important. "Finding people with good hearts" whom one can trust is also vital. Although mistakes cannot be avoided and memos are issued occasionally, they make sure that the erring person understands the offense. "We try to lead by example. Conflicts cannot be avoided but by talking about our differences, almost everything can be resolved. Trust is important," they believe.

However, one of the best things going for the owners of Kimono Ken as the restaurant continues to grow is that their business has been a means of nurturing and strengthening a genuine friendship. It is what compels them to look out for each other.

"It’s a good thing that there are three of us," says Lynette Chan. "We help each other find more time for our respective families." In life as in business, true friendships are important.