Ah-So Fine Foods or “Ah-So Sushi” is a family operated business that thinks globally. After providing delicious sushi in a sit-down restaurant setting for decades they have added a new grab-n-go option for their customers. Dan Hong, the president of Ah-So explains “Farm Boy came to us and said that they were looking for fresh on-site sushi programs.” Now, they operate 15 sushi bars in Farm Boy grocery stores. The grab-n-go menu includes fresh sushi made daily! “We make fresh sushi every day providing 30-35 different options. Vegetarian, cooked items, and combos.”The situation is unique. Farm Boy provides the location, but everything else falls to Ah-So, “Our staff, our equipment, our ingredients. Farm Boy provides the space we provide the expertise.”
Our Expert: Dan Hong
Company: Ah-So Fine Foods
Position: president
Industry: Grab and Go Sushi Solutions
What advice do you have for someone looking to start a new food-service venture?You must understand who your market is. In our scenario, we understand who our customer is. We serve to Farm Boy’s customer. But our customer is Farm Boy at the end of the day. The recommendation I would make is do your research understand who your customers are and be different.
What’s the difference between opening a location in a grocery concept v.s. a traditional one?
Opening up into a Grocery concept is very challenging. Of course, opening up a restaurant in a plaza is much simpler because all you need to do is convince your landlord that you are the person that should go in there. So it’s a different market that when you’re dealing with a corporate client like a Farm Boy, it’s very different. You not only have to provide how long you’ve been in business for you also have to provide and prove that your product is far better than any other competitors that are out there. So competitive edge is important. Your knowledge, your experience. I think again, we’re in the food business, we know right away that if a customer complains about our product that we wouldn’t be around very long.
Check out Ah-So Sushi for fresh and exciting sushi options in your local Farm Boy, Rabba Fine Foods or click here to find a local store near you – http://www.ah-sosushi.com/