Summary:
Recorded on July 29, 2021 – Not one to shy away from adventure, Bo Seo, from Kibo Sushi speaks to us about his unlikely start in the hospitality business. His love of life has taken him down many avenues and he continues to thrive, even in these uncertain times.
Show Description:
The entrepreneurial spirit runs wild in the life of Bo Seo. Bo worked in advertising in South Korea, prior to moving to Canada.
His work experience includes Omi Restaurant and Asahi Sushi Restaurant. Combining his love of jazz music and wine, in 2012 Bo, along with his business partner, opened a jazz bar on Parliament Street. He very quickly realized that the lifestyle and late nights were not for him.
Bo then changed avenues and opened an oyster bar, and then a high end japanese restaurant. Three months after opening and changing concepts five times he landed on what we know today as Kibo Sushi.
Kibo means Hope in Japanese. It is also the name of the highest summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. After a tumultuous beginning, straining his marriage and questioning what he was doing, Bo wanted to bring hope into his life and into Toronto.
When starting a business Bo doesn’t focus on profitability. At the beginning, he feels business is a survival game and he focuses on surviving. Once a concept proves itself he then turns to profitability.
“As long as you have good food, good vibe, good service, and people are coming slowly, it’s a timing game and it’s going to work,” Bo says. Success takes time.
Kibo has a unique structure. Most Kibo restaurants are run by several owner operators. A stranger cannot buy a Kibo. Employees that want to buy into a new restaurant must qualify to work together and they must qualify with their skills. They are given opportunities to become partners through sweat equity.
As much as possible Bo looks to provide equal opportunities. The salaries of workers are the same, which Bo admits “That’s kind of weird compared to other restaurants businesses or others in the industry but for us, we are a team.”
There are now over 30 Kibo Sushi in Ontario and 2 in Calgary and 10 opening in the next few months.
Kibo Market was strategically opened so they would be able to import their own products. They then sell ingredients within the market that are then used in the restaurants.
Kibo Secret Garden was Bo’s original dream. It is a high end Omakase restaurant, which is akin to a chef’s tasting menu for a limited group of people. Located in Yorkville, it makes the BEST food! Intentionally, there is only one per city, making it an exclusive experience.
Bo’s advice for people going into food service, “If you love people, if you like people, it works.”
The biggest challenge for Bo in running a business is financing, “suffering to pay employees”, he says with a smile. One of the biggest mistakes people make when going into business is not having enough money to get over the hard times.
Kibo Sushi doesn’t advertise. It grows based on word of mouth and they rely on positive customer experiences. An authentic, local feeling is important to Bo. Quality comes before growth.
In addition to being CEO of Kibo, Bo is also a successful realtor. Another industry he is passionate about, he got into the business because he wanted to find new Kibo locations.
Bo loves what he does. The Canadian culture energizes him. His business philosophy is that even if he meets you now, he will let you know that he loves you!
His competition is himself. He loves to cook Korean food and he loves fermenting foods, such as kimchi.
The new high end Kibo Secret Garden opened this summer on Cumberland Street in Yorkville. What’s next for Bo? He intends to open an authentic Korean cuisine restaurant and we’ll be ready to try it!
Website: kibosushi.com
IG: @kibosushihouse
