Lecture Notes: A Personal Journey to Building a Unique Restaurant

Introduction

• The speaker is the owner of a place called Han Oak in northeast Portland.
• Unconventional entrance and layout, with a hidden backyard and garage space serving as dining and kitchen areas.

Blending Family and Business

• The business is run from home, intertwining family life with work.
• Initially struggled with the concept of a traditional restaurant.
• The initial staff included friends and family.
• Emphasis on community and space over conventional business models.

The "Place First" Concept

• Focus on creating an environment rather than following a traditional business model.
• Contrast with traditional business approaches that focus on the product first.

Speaker's Background

• Graduated from the University of Oregon in 2001.
• Moved to New York and incidentally started cooking in a high-end restaurant.
• Progressed over ten years from tray chef to head chef, including being an executive chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
• Experienced the repetition of "Groundhog Day" in high-stress environments.

Realization and Transition

• Witnessed chefs apologizing for neglecting family at a major culinary awards ceremony.
• Personal guilt and awareness of missing family time.
• Mother's stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis prompted a return to Portland.
• Decision to prioritize family over career.

New Vision and Business Model

• Desire to open a restaurant integrated with family life.
• His wife suggested combining workspace with the family home.
• Aimed to avoid traditional restaurant pitfalls and create a family-centric environment.
• Found a place through Craigslist with the help of an understanding real estate developer.

Building Han Oak

• Converted space into a restaurant with limited initial resources.
• Focus on organic growth and family capability.
• Created a family-focused restaurant providing time for family and special occasions.
• Ongoing evolution with new projects like a ceramics studio.

Reflections and Advice

• Focus on environment more than business model.
• Four key points for budding entrepreneurs:
  1. Dedicate time and work for a strong foundation.
  2. Learn from a variety of environments, good and bad.
  3. Create a place where you want to be.
  4. Aim to build a place that feels like home.
• Success achieved by prioritizing a supportive and inclusive space over a standard restaurant model.

Conclusion

• Emphasis on gratitude rather than apology.
• The journey and space created with family values at the center have been more valuable than traditional accolades.