Interview: Kevin Takarada Owner of MAKIMAKI in Midtown Manhattan

Disrupting the world of sushi is not an easy task. With over 4,000 sushi establishments in the United States alone and an industry that brings inabout $2.3 billion per year, the world of sushi is big business. However, with newly opened MakiMaki owner Kevin Takarada plans to disrupt it in a major way. Combining his business acumen and enthusiasm for hospitality, Kevin opened the first store in July in New York with plans to take the concept citywide and beyond.

The former investment banker has sushi running through his veins as his family opened the first and oldest sushi restaurant in Miami's South Beach, Toni's Sushi Bar, over 30 years ago. Having been involved in the family business, a few years ago Kevin was faced with a glaring human resources problem: the lack of trained sushi chefs. Determined to solve this problem, Kevin traveled to Japan to secure chefs right out of culinary school, but he heard the same response everywhere he went: there were not enough trained sushi chefs.

In Japan, the art of making sushi is just that - an art that is perfected over years of meticulous practice. It takes many years of training to acquire the precise skills of first preparing rice and then cutting the fish, which in combination yield that perfect piece of sushi. However, with the continual shift in the professional landscape, the years of apprenticeship no longer hold the same attraction to young would-be chefs.

Kevin realized that Japanese sushi chefs would prove ever harder to come by even as worldwide demand for sushi continues to rise. Seeing the trend of high caliber chefs like Daniel Humm and Tom Colicchio opening fast-casual establishments, Kevin decided to translate that concept into sushi, creating a restaurant that sources high-quality fish and doesn't rely on highly trained chefs.

With an assembly line of chefs focused on a single specific task, MakiMaki eliminates the complexity and difficulties of the high-end sushi bar, instead focusing on what consumers really want: great sushi rolls - fast and affordable.

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Kevin Takarada.

When did you first realize the need for the MakiMaki restaurant concept?

"From my everyday life as a professional in the financial industry, I became annoyed with the lack of lunch options and noticed that sushi was never even an option to begin with. It was either slow and expensive, or cold and inedible. While studying for level 2 CFA, my mind wandered towards an existing product of sushi handrolls, something that's delicious and easy to make in Japan, but somehow isn't really a thing in the States. I thought it was a great option / solution for lunch. The small idea soon grew legs and a heart, and I was off to the races."

What challenges did launching MakiMaki present

"There were A LOT of challenges. The first was the real estate chase where landlords wouldn't entertain an unproven concept or simply asked way too much. The real estate pursuit lasted over a year, constantly testing one's patience and dashing hopes when potential deals fell through. It was difficult to pick yourself up after so many consecutive denials. The next challenge quickly became the design and construction of MakiMaki. The original space was a vitamin store with no working AC, no bathroom, no plumbing - it had absolutely nothing. Doing a gut renovation job in Manhattan is tough enough as it is, but I was also working full time as a director in a bank and preparing for our first baby. Once construction was done and I retired from finance, the next challenge was pivoting from a financial professional to a full-time restaurant owner with no staff. Leading up to the grand opening, the menu kept changing, staff had never worked together, I didn't know if the concept would work, I didn't know if customers would come in and or enjoy the food... I was petrified... But luckily I am alive and things are going very well."

Tell us a little about your team.

"We are a bunch of guys that strive to provide an exceptional customer service experience. We come from various backgrounds such as proper Japanese chef, a computer scientist, students of theater, baristas. What we all have in common is the strong feeling that we are all part of something bigger - MakiMaki makes everyone happy and my team loves working there everyday."

What have been some of your customer reactions?

"People are extremely happy. We have yet to see anyone leave disappointed or angry. Most customers leave very happy and are eager to introduce their friends, colleagues and family. We are extremely happy with the customer feedback and encouragement."

Why do you feel MakiMaki has been so successful in such a short time?

"I don't want to feel that success has been achieved yet as my goals are very long term. However, the immediate quantifiable success of having over 50% of customers on any given day, be repeat customers, is a sign that we have what everyone wants: great sushi at reasonable prices. I also strongly believe the collaborative spirit of the team can be felt by each customer that walks in as they are warmly greeted and attended to. Customer service is part of our product."

For the future?

"I would love to spread the joy of MakiMaki to other parts of town."

Anything else, absolutely anything you want BWW readers to know!

"MakiMaki is not just about great sushi, great service and great value - it is also a story about one man making the sacrifice of cutting margins in order to make great sushi affordable to so many. If people appreciate it and introduce their friends to us, then the tight business model will work and we can all have great sushi at great prices across NYC.

And a few more words on why the quality of product at Makimaki is so high while the price points are totally reachable. Not only am I operating on thin margins but in order to continue the tradition of making sushi - or maki and temaki rolls, rather - I cut out the most expensive and scarce ingredient - highly skilled sushi chefs that a typical sushi bars need to have for each shift (at least 3 or 4). At MakiMaki, our maki and temaki are made on an assembly line by the team of rollers, a skill that is not as time-consuming to obtain as the title of a seasoned sushi chef. Thus, instead of having a group of chefs, I have one main classically trained sushi chef who curates the menu and prepares the most important ingredients such as fish and rice. This way, labor cost savings inevitably translate into better price points for the MakiMaki product offering.

In terms of quality, it is all about the ingredients. I am adamant about supporting Japanese craftsmen by importing ingredients and products that support the operation of MakiMaki from Japan. Particularly, our seaweed is imported from a small family-owned manufacturer in Japan; our sushi rice comes from a small farm; the teas offered at MakiMaki are custom blended by a family-run tea company with more than 800 years of history; and elements of our decor - such as the Noren, a fabric signage bearing our logo - are custom-made in Japan by a small factory specializing in textile production. My support for local producers extends beyond the shores of Japan. I pride myself on working with US suppliers that provide only responsibly sourced fish and vegetables. Thus I believe that supporting small artisans in both nations ensures the continuation of a great tradition of enjoying sushi."

MakiMaki is located at 1369 6th Avenue (bet W. 55th & W. 56th Streets). Call them at 212.245.4550, contact them at info@MakiMaki.nyc and visit their web site at http://makimaki.nyc/.

Broadwayworld.com had the opportunity to visit MakiMaki and enjoy their delicious fare. Read the review piece. /bwwfood-wine/article/BWW-Review-MAKIMAKI-in-Midtown-for-Premium-Sushi-Creative-Delicious-and-Affordable-20170922

Photo Credit: Kevin Takarada by Signe Birck

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