Many dream about abandoning their traditional career paths to pursue a passion project, but few truly act on it. Judy Joo, however, is a prime example of someone who made this dream a reality. From poring over financial markets as a derivatives salesperson at Morgan Stanley to owning Seoul Bird, a popular Korean-American restaurant in London’s Canary Wharf, Joo has indeed come a long way.
Joo left the trading floor in 2004 after enduring five years of sleep deprivation and a chronic bout of sinusitis and laryngitis, brought on by a demanding workload. Her interests had gradually shifted to food during her time in banking, with her free time dominated by reading cookbooks, devising recipes, and baking cookies.
Switching to the culinary world was not without its challenges. The long hours and strenuous conditions she faced in restaurants initially mirrored her past banking life. However, these experiences shaped her approach to managing her own establishment, where she places a high value on her employees’ wellbeing.
Alongside her Chief Operations Officer, Andrew Hales, Joo provides her staff with competitive wages and nurtures a community-oriented work environment. They offer perks like free meals from the restaurant’s menu, a three-day weekend, and a more balanced work-life equation.
Operating a restaurant in today’s complex economic climate, marked by inflation, staff shortages, and shifting work-from-home norms, is not straightforward. To stay afloat, Joo employs a combination of strategies, such as leveraging multiple suppliers to keep the supply chain fresh and competitive, strategically adjusting prices, and renegotiating terms with landlords who understand that pre-2019 foot traffic levels are unlikely to return.
In this demanding situation, Joo’s background in finance has been invaluable. From menu design to ingredient procurement, her expertise allows her to assess cost-effectiveness and meet targets. Furthermore, her proficiency in financial modelling aids in decision-making processes, such as determining operating hours and staff size. She also leverages her financial acumen to secure funding more readily, understanding the crucial financial aspects of running a business.
Notably, Joo’s choice to operate Seoul Bird as a quick-service restaurant was guided by a keen understanding of the better margins it offered compared to traditional dining establishments.
In conclusion, Joo’s journey demonstrates that a radical career switch can be a rewarding endeavour, despite the challenges it may initially present. Her advice for those contemplating such a move is to persist through rejection and remain optimistic, for it takes only one success story to make it all worthwhile.
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