Simply but Not Simple

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hyomi Kim, owner of Plain Jane, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Plain Jane is a Brunch restaurant, that plain or not that plain people, or people who don't care about how they look (also some who care!) gather together. Of course, a place for solo who comes in and chill out.

Tell us about yourself

My husband and I had a dream of owning our small business. We loved the comfy good. We loved coming up with a brunch idea that we could handle even though we were not professionals. And we thought we could do.

We married in late 2009 in Korea. We moved to SF a month after. We opened our first restaurant in Nob Hill, " Mymy " in late 2010. We kept moving. Our regulars, all loyal customers, tourists supported us. We opened the 2nd restaurant, "Plain Jane" in 2019 April.

What motivates us to keep moving is our people, neighbors, regulars. Tourists from other cities, states, and countries keep visiting and remembering us. It's amazing to see them not forgetting us. We share the time getting old together.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would be a different answer before the pandemic. However, as we went through this situation, the fact that we could survive and still be here with everyone ( including our employees. they waited for us. ) was the biggest accomplishment we made. Because it made us feel confident in our restaurants, and we are solid.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I think the restaurant is a small society. Lots of dramas stories are going on. Among our customers. Among our employees. Everyone can have a bad day without any cool reason. When is the hardest moment? When the bad day happens to our customer and our employee on the same day. And...Yelp review will arrive soon :)

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Think about what food people will like
Think about what food people will be bored
Make the place that your employees want to work.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://www.plainjanesanfrancisco.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plainjanesf/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plainjanesf/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.