Soho Sushi

By Bob Cox

The single greatest challenge for almost every start-up business is getting enough customers through the doors, especially in the first few months. At least that’s been my experience since I've been working as an advertising rep here in the greater Sacramento area over the past 23 years. I've met thousands of business owners that were more than willing to do whatever it took to generate enough revenue to keep their doors open.

Then, there are those exceptionally rare occasions when a new business actually encounters the opposite problem…too much business! The story I’m about to tell is real, and the names have not been changed to protect the innocent.

A kind-hearted and soft spoken man had enjoyed many years of success owning and operating a jewelry store in Stockton, CA when one day, out of the blue, he was approached by a friend who had an exciting business opportunity. His friend invited him to becomes partners with him in his new sushi restaurant in Rancho Cordova, CA. After long and careful consideration, Joe accepted his friend’s invitation. He was ready for a new and exciting challenge, so he closed the chapter on his jewelry business, moved north and went for it!

The man I’m referring to above is Joe Lee, and he is the proud owner of one of the hottest new restaurants in the greater Sacramento area: Soho Sushi in Rancho Cordova. I caught up with Joe the other day to learn more about his extraordinary business.

Q: Tell us about Soho Sushi.

A: We opened two years ago. I started with a partner and he left recently. I’m fairly new in this business but fortunately, I have a large staff of talented and experienced people. We offer good food and good service. We only serve fresh fish and we emphasize customer service by taking care of one customer at a time every day. I’m here seven days a week to make sure we stay committed to taking good care of our customers.

Q: What have been some of the biggest surprises and challenges of owning this restaurant?

A: When we first opened up, the response from the public was overwhelming. We did not expect the large volume of customers we got and we had trouble giving them all good service. The first six months was a bit of trial by error, but over the last year and a half, we have seen steady improvement with our service and our revenues. Right now, I’m still learning, but I’m committed to making sure that everything is clean and the quality of the food and service is excellent.

Q: Your restaurant is not only beautiful but remarkably clean. What’s your secret to keeping it looking brand new?

A: We all treat each day like we’re going to get a visit from the health inspector. That keeps us motivated every day to keep our restaurant exceptionally clean, from the front to the back.

Q: Has the speed of your service improved since you first opened?

A: Yes, we have a lot of business customers who come in at lunchtime and they have short breaks, some only 30 minutes. We have to serve them quickly and courteously so they can get back to work on time and will want to come back. Since we first opened, we have hired and trained a large staff, so now we’re always ready for the biggest rushes that come during lunch and dinner. We are committed to learning and we keep getting better and better. On those rare occasions we get a bad review on Yelp, we don’t get offended. Instead, we learn from all the feedback we get and use it to improve. Fortunately, we mostly get positive feedback from our customers.

Q: What separates your restaurant from other restaurants?

A: We have a very talented and popular sushi chef. We are committed to always improving and introducing new menu items so that our customers never get bored. We only use fresh fish and fresh ingredients, so the flavor is always the best.

Q: What are your most popular menu items?

A: Our customers love our sushi rolls, especially the Spicy Rhonda (Spicy masago and green onion topped with tuna, salmon, crab meat and jalapeno), Brandi’s Special (Green onion with salmon and spicy tuna on top), Moon’s Special (Deep-fried calamari, crab meat and avacado), Baked Salmon (Salmon, masago and green onion, unagi sauce on top), Sexy Tomoyo (Masago and green onion with salmon, yellowtail and crab meat on top), Tiger (Cooked shrimp, avacado, masago, green onion and special sauce on top) and Ninja King (Masago and green onion with crab meat and cooked shrimp on top). These are just a few of our most popular dishes. The flavor is always great because our sushi chef pays attention to every detail and we only serve fresh fish and fresh ingredients every day. We have very fast turnaround, so all our fish has to be fresh.

Q: What are some of the things you've done to train your employees to give faster and better service?

A: (Ewan Mac, Supervisor). I've been here over a year and this is a good place to work. I been responsibly for helping to train new employees. We make sure they all check up on all the customers and give them fast and friendly service.

Q: Any big plans for the future?

A: Yes, hopefully we’d like to expand. Of course, it’s very important to have enough of the right people. The people here are just like my family. I don’t feel like the boss when I’m around here. We’re just like one big family.

Editor’s notes: For more information about Soho Sushi, visit their restaurant at 3101 Zinfandel Dr. #124 in Rancho Cordova, browse their website at www.sohosushisac.com or call (916) 853-1100.