Opening Soon

Helen Zhang is the co-founder of Ziggy’s Roman Cafe, a new restaurant in Dumbo, Brooklyn designed to solve a problem many parents have.  How do you go out to eat with kids and still enjoy a great meal?

Before opening Ziggy’s, Helen spent more than 15 years in hospitality PR and brand marketing. She also worked at Tend, helping the company scale from just a few locations to dozens across the East Coast.

But after becoming a parent, Helen and her husband, co-founder of the iconic cocktail bar Employees Only, realized something was missing in the restaurant.  A restaurant that combined serious food, great drinks and a  family-friendly environment.

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe was created out of that idea.  A neighborhood restaurant serving Roman-inspired pizzas and pastas with craft cocktails, community events and even a small play space upstairs so parents can enjoy dinner while kids stay entertained.

In this episode, Helen shares the story behind launching Ziggy’s and what it’s really like opening a restaurant in New York City.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Leaving a 15-year career in PR and marketing to start a restaurant
• Building a restaurant inspired by parenthood
• Why community building was the core of Ziggy’s marketing strategy
• Hosting local events and pop-ups before the restaurant even opened
• Using storefront signage, social media and email lists to build buzz
• The unexpected challenges of opening a restaurant 
• Why starting with a simple menu helped the team operate more efficiently
• Working with your spouse as a co-founder
• Balancing entrepreneurship, family life and risk

If you’re looking to open a restaurant, especially with a concept not yet around, this episode has an honest look at what it takes.

Resources & Links

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe Website: https://www.ziggysromancafe.com/

Ziggy’s Roman Cafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziggysromancafe/

Helen Zhang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenzhangnyc

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Vincent Finazzo is the founder of Riverwards Produce, a neighborhood grocery market in Philadelphia that started in a 20x20 garage and has grown into a multi-location business doing nearly $16 million in annual sales.

Vincent studied art in Chicago, moved to Philly to work in museums and took a job at Whole Foods as a janitor just to pay the bills.  Fifteen years later, after working his way up to produce buyer, brokering truckloads of produce across the country and waking up at 3am to deliver vegetables out of a Honda Civic, he turned a pop-up market into one of the most respected independent grocery brands in the country.

In this episode, Vincent breaks down the real economics of grocery, why he refuses to offer delivery, and how constant reinvestment fueled Riverwards’ growth.

We talk about:

• Starting a retail business with $500 and no investors
• How 200 pumpkins sparked growth
• Going from $35K in sales to millions in annual revenue
• The reality of 3-4% profit margins in grocery
• Negotiating a below-market lease that made the first store possible
• Designing a store people want to spend time in
• The logistics of managing 4,000+ SKUs
• How social media became his only marketing channel
• Why he believes physical retail if done right is the future

Vincent also shares lessons on starting before you’re ready, persistence, discipline and staying true to your core motivations.

Resources & Links

Riverwards Produce Website: https://www.riverwardsproduce.com/

Riverwards Produce Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riverwardsproduce/?hl=en

Vincent Finazzo: https://www.instagram.com/vincentfinazzo/?hl=en

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Emily Schildt is the founder of Pop-Up Grocer, a grocery store designed to help emerging, better-for-you brands reach customers. What started as a 10-day experiment in New York City has grown into a permanent store in Greenwich Village with national pop-ups and major retail partnerships.

Before launching Pop-Up Grocer, Emily built her career in food and beverage marketing, starting at Chobani in its earliest days. She saw how a small brand could reshape an entire category and how many promising brands struggled not with product but with access to shelf space and consumer trial.

In 2019, Emily rented a downtown NYC space for just 10 days, spent roughly $15K on rent and launched the first Pop-Up Grocer with nearly 100 brands on shelf.  From there, Pop-Up Grocer expanded into 30-day pop-ups across multiple cities and raised just over $2M to pursue a permanent location. Emily opened Pop-Up Grocer’s flagship store in 2023.

In this episode, Emily shares the realities of building Pop-Up Grocer.  From writing her first terrifying rent check to learning how to run a seven-day-a-week retail operation and finding confidence as a founder over time.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Starting a career at Chobani
• Why emerging brands struggle with trial but not product quality
• Spending~$15K to launch a 10-day pop-up with no retail experience
• How Pop-Up Grocer made money from day one
• Turning pop-ups into a scalable business model
• Raising $2M to open a permanent NYC store
• Paying $30K/month in rent and why it made sense
• Transitioning from pop-ups to full-time retail

If you are interested in the intersection of CPG and retail, this episode is for you.

Resources & Links

Pop-Up Grocer Website: https://popupgrocer.com/

Pop-Up Grocer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/popup.grocer/

Emily Schildt: https://www.instagram.com/emilyschildt

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Stephan Courseau is the founder of Travis Street Hospitality and some of Dallas’ most beloved French-inspired restaurants including Le Bilboquet Dallas, Knox Bistro and Georgie. Stephan arrived in New York City from Paris in 1987 with $500 and barely knowing english.

He started as a dishwasher and talked his way into Le Bilboquet NYC and worked under legends like Jean-Georges Vongerichten.  In 2013 Stephan moved his family to Dallas to open a small 2,000 sq ft restaurant.  Within a few years, Le Bilboquet Dallas grew from a struggling in it’s first winter into a $6M+ annual business that helped establish Dallas as a serious dining city.

Today, Stephan oversees a team of long-tenured operators and a hospitality group rooted in the philosophy that “the guest should always feel welcome, but the customer is not always right”. He breaks down how he rebuilt a failed opening, what most restaurateurs get wrong about service and how Dallas became the unlikely home for his success.

Stephan also shares the unfiltered side of hospitality and how to survive long enough to get your one big break.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Arriving in NYC with $500, no English and landing a dishwasher job
• How a chance encounter led him to Le Bilboquet and a career in fine dining
• Working with Jean-Georges and learning the difference between good and world-class
  Leaving New York after 20 years and why Dallas became the right next chapter
• Raising under $1M to open Le Bilboquet Dallas and finding investors who cared about community
• Surviving a disastrous first winter and rebuilding a restaurant “one guest at a time”
• Why “the customer is not always right” and how to uphold integrity without ego
• Advice for future restaurateurs: start small, control everything, stay humble

If you're dreaming about opening a restaurant or not sure where to begin with little to nothing, this episode is for you.

Resources & Links

Travis Street Hospitality Website: tshdallas.com

Travis Street Hospitality Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisstreethospitality/?hl=en

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Ireland McGill is the founder of New York Memento, a triangular 19-square-foot photo booth in the West Village in New York City. Before launching Memento, Ireland grew up in a small town in southern Oklahoma. She moved to New York with no apartment lined up and built a career in big tech working with some of the world’s largest consumer brands.

In late 2024, Ireland started asking the question: ‘Where does real connection fit in a world that’s always online?’ That question turned into the earliest version of Memento, a physical place where people could slow down, be present  and leave with something meaningful in their hands. Within weeks she found a 19-square-foot space on 7th Avenue and West 10th Street, signed a $4,750/month lease and decided to fund the project using her personal savings.

The build took seven months that included winter wind tunnels and construction delays and custom camera setups. By June 2025, New York Memento officially opened its doors and almost immediately went viral through organic Instagram and TikTok posts created by customers. Within months, the booth had 100–300 visitors a day and was both breaking even financially and landing brand partnerships with companies like Rent the Runway and Café Arone.

Ireland shares how she built a Momento without traditional marketing and how trusting her instinct on a tiny unconventional location became her biggest advantage. She also shares the mental, emotional and financial tolls with taking a risk at 25, working her full-time big tech job while starting her first business

In this episode, we talk about:

• How an existential question sparked the idea for New York Memento
• Finding a 19-square-foot triangular space and signing a $4,750/month lease
• Planning construction with Canva sketches
• How Memento went viral through organic social media content
• Breaking even within months and welcoming 100–300 people on peak days
• The Rent the Runway partnership
• Balancing a full-time tech job while starting a business
• The importance of an authentic and intentional space

If you’re in big tech and building something of your own or dreaming about taking that leap then this episode is for you.

Resources & Links

New York Memento Website: https://newyorkmemento.com/

New York Memento Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newyorkmemento

Ireland McGill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ireland.mcgill/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Marcella Giuffrida is the co-founder of Forte Vita, a heated, weighted workout studio in Brentwood, Los Angeles, and the founder of MGPR, a boutique PR and social media agency specializing in emerging lifestyle and wellness brands. Before opening Forte Vita, Marcella built her career in New York’s luxury fashion PR world, later returning to LA to represent wellness and lifestyle clients, one of which led her to creating monthly puppy yoga events that unexpectedly planted the seed for a fitness studio of her own.

In early 2025, after struggling to find a studio she and her co-founder genuinely loved, Marcella spotted an opportunity: combine a luxury workout experience with the built-in community they had already cultivated. Within weeks, the two secured a hidden upstairs space above their favorite coffee shop, signed a $5,500/month lease, invested $100,000 of their own savings and began building Forte Vita from scratch. By October, just six months after the first spark of an idea, they opened their doors with a 20-person team, 5–6 classes a day, and a focus on elevated, stress-free fitness.

In its first month, Forte Vita reached 30% class capacity, driven heavily by TikTok and a smart, scrappy PR approach. Marcella shares how she built a cohesive brand before opening, leveraged influencers and brand partnerships for zero-cost amenities, and designed a guest experience that feels calm, intentional and premium in contrast to traditional big-box fitness studios.

Marcella breaks down the real costs and realities of launching a boutique fitness studio in LA, the operational challenges of the first 30 days and how to build a brick-and-mortar business that stands out in a saturated market, through authenticity, community and an eye for thoughtful details.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How a puppy yoga event sparked the idea for a boutique fitness studio
• Launching Forte Vita in 6 months with a $100K budget
• Breaking down the numbers: $5,500 rent, 21-person max classes, 5–6 classes/day
• How TikTok became their #1 customer acquisition channel
• Building a luxury guest experience vs. the traditional fitness chaos
• When to do PR, when not to and how authenticity beats paid press
• Growing to 30% capacity in month one and the surprising class times that work

If you’ve ever thought about opening a fitness studio, creating a wellness brand or building a brick-and-mortar business with strong community and storytelling, this episode is packed with insight.

Resources & Links

Forte Vita Website: https://www.fortevita.co/

Forte Vita Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortevita.co/

Marcella Giuffrida Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcellagiuffrida/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Brittney Wysong is the founder of Artsy Studio, a 1,700-square-foot process-based art studio for kids in Trussville, Alabama. Before opening the studio, Brittney spent a decade in healthcare marketing and graphic design, balancing a full-time corporate role with raising two young kids. A single visit to an open art space with her toddler sparked the idea for Artsy, a place where kids could create freely without the limits of traditional classrooms or the distractions of home.

Within months, Brittney found an older, character-filled building in the center of town, signed a two-year lease for $2,800 a month, and began transforming the space with hand-painting walls, building custom tables, and renovating late at night while working full-time and caring for a newborn. She tested the concept by tarping her garage, inviting 20 moms and their kids, and letting chaos and creativity run wild. The response confirmed the demand, and Artsy Studio officially opened in March 2025 to a packed, wall-to-wall grand opening crowd.

Today, Artsy Studio hosts process-art classes, open studio hours, workshops, lessons, birthday parties, seasonal camps, and even at-home craft kits through its new “Artsy Anywhere” line. Brittney serves 100–125 unique kids a month while steadily growing the business, expanding offerings, and learning how to navigate seasonality, pricing, staffing, and the realities of year-one brick-and-mortar life.

In this episode, Brittney breaks down how she launched a neighborhood creative space in under 90 days, why environment changes everything for kids' creativity, and what she’s learned transitioning from corporate marketer to full-time founder.

We cover:
• The lightbulb moment that inspired Artsy Studio
• Testing the idea by turning her garage into a DIY mini-studio
• Finding a below-market, character-rich space and negotiating the lease
• How she funded the buildout with ~$30K in savings and family support
• Her philosophy on environment-based creativity for kids
• Why she hand-built most of the studio herself (and what she outsourced)
• How process-art classes, open studio hours, and parties drive revenue
• Seasonality, homeschool demand, and early business learnings
• Going full-time on Artsy just two weeks ago
• Trusting your gut as a founder and keeping some ideas close to the chest

If you’ve ever dreamed of opening a kids’ space, launching a creative studio, or starting a community-centered retail concept while juggling work and family, this episode is a candid look at how one founder made it happen with speed, scrappiness, and a whole lot of paint.

Resources & Links
Artsy Studio Website: https://www.artsystudio.co
Artsy Studio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artsybham

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Sam Saverance is the co-founder of Bunna Cafe in Bushwick and the creator of Farley’s Sloppy Joes in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Before opening restaurants, Sam worked as a freelance designer, spent time in finance, and began hosting food pop-ups, one of which evolved into Bunna Cafe, a beloved Ethiopian vegan restaurant that’s been a neighborhood fixture since 2011.

In 2024, Sam launched Farley’s, a 300-square-foot diner-style concept dedicated entirely to the sloppy joe, America’s most nostalgic sandwich. Built for just $2,500 a month in rent, Farley’s runs a lean, efficient operation serving sloppy joes, chips, and sodas while keeping prices affordable and margins healthy.

Over the past decade, Sam has seen the Brooklyn dining landscape transform, from the early days of Smorgasburg pop-ups to a post-COVID world where consumer habits, rent pressures, and oversaturation have changed the rules of running restaurants. Rather than chasing trends, Sam focuses on neighborhood-first growth, organic marketing, and owner presence, building goodwill the old-fashioned way, one customer at a time.

In this episode, Sam breaks down how he opened Farley’s on a shoestring budget, what it takes to survive as a small operator in NYC today, and how to create a concept that feels fresh, fun, and deeply local.

We cover:

• How Bunna Cafe went from pop-up to a Brooklyn institution
• Letting the space shape the concept instead of forcing an idea
• The post-COVID reality of NYC dining and consumer behavior
• Opening Farley’s for under $2,500/month rent with minimal buildout
• How to price affordably without killing margins
• The operational playbook: warmers over fryers, chips over fries
• Neighborhood-first growth and building goodwill as an asset
• Collaborating with local food makers and small brands
• Why Sloppy Joes might be the next big nostalgia food trend
• How to test concepts through pop-ups before going permanent

If you’ve ever dreamed of turning a pop-up into a permanent restaurant, opening in a tiny footprint, or experimenting with low-cost, high-creativity food concepts, this episode is a refreshing, first-hand look at how to do it without losing your mind or your money.

Resources & Links
Farley's Sloppy Joes Website: https://www.farleysnyc.com/
Farley’s Sloppy Joes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farleyssloppyjoes

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Benjamin Berg is the founder and CEO of Berg Hospitality Group, the team behind B&B Butchers and more than a dozen restaurant concepts across Texas. Ben started out as a bellman at the Lake Placid Lodge, worked his way through fine dining in Las Vegas, Mexico City, and New York, earned his master’s at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, and spent over five years at Smith & Wollensky before striking out on his own.

In 2015, Ben opened B&B Butchers in Houston with $1.7 million raised and no prior track record as an owner. His first-year revenue hit $9 million, eventually growing to $17 million annually with 28–30% profit margins. That success fueled the growth of Berg Hospitality Group, which now operates 14 restaurants and employs more than 1,400 people.

Ben also shares his losses and mistakes. In 2023, Ben opened a modern Chinese concept he believed would take Houston by storm. Instead, it cost $5.5 million to build-out, had six-figure monthly losses, and closed within 14 months. In this episode, Ben breaks down what went wrong, the rules he broke, and how that failure reshaped his playbook for growth.

We also dive into the real economics of steakhouses, why private dining drives profit, how he manages margins across concepts, and what it takes to scale a hospitality group without losing touch with the guest experience.

We cover:

• How a bellman became a multi-concept restaurateur
• Lessons from Cornell’s hospitality program and Smith & Wollensky
• Opening B&B Butchers with $1.7M and hitting $9M in year one
• Scaling to $17M and 28–30% margins on a single unit
• The waterfall effect: how steakhouse economics really work
• How Houston’s dining scene evolved and why local ownership matters
• The $5.5M failure why it happened and what he’d never do again
• His rules for site selection: parking, access, visibility
• Why 12–14% margins are now considered excellent post-COVID
• The future of Berg Hospitality and why he’s focused on scaling fewer, better brands

If you’ve ever dreamed of opening a steakhouse or building a hospitality group, this episode is a brutally honest masterclass in restaurant economics, site selection, and scaling smart without losing your shirt.

Resources & Links
Berg Hospitality Group: https://berghospitality.com
B&B Butchers: https://bbbutchers.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berghospitality
Benjamin Berg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-berg-5b180976/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/ 

Arnold Byun is the co-founder of Maum Market and Store. 

After nearly a decade managing some of New York’s most acclaimed restaurants including Eleven Madison Park, Bouley, and Atomix, he found himself jobless during the pandemic, sitting in Los Angeles with no plan, no network, and plenty of time to think. What started as a $1,000 experiment with 10 folding tables and 22 Korean American friends selling ceramics, art, and baked goods would soon become MAUM, a growing platform for Asian-owned brands that now spans 70+ markets and three retail stores across New York, San Francisco, and Orange County.

Arnold and his co-founder, Kioh Park, built MAUM as a modern hospitality company disguised as a market, one that curates not just products, but people and stories. They run every event themselves, hauling U-Hauls, setting up booths, and designing immersive, community-driven experiences that consistently draw thousands. Today, MAUM operates on a mix of consignment, pop-ups, and percentage-rent retail deals, rethinking what it means to grow a profitable, mission-driven brand without outside capital.

In this episode, we unpack how Arnold turned a pandemic layoff into a thriving cultural business, why MAUM’s first 30-day pop-up did $80K in sales with no price tags, and what he’s learned running 70+ markets while raising a family. We also dive into how he negotiates landlord deals most brands can’t, why he believes e-commerce isn’t worth chasing, and what’s next as MAUM becomes a bridge for Asian brands entering the U.S.

We cover:

• How a pandemic layoff sparked MAUM’s $1,000 origin story
• Lessons from managing Eleven Madison Park and Atomix
• Why consignment and pop-ups beat traditional retail leases
• Turning cultural storytelling into a business advantage
• Negotiating percentage-rent and semi-permanent store deals
• Running 70+ markets and working with 2,000+ Asian-owned brands
• The realities (and grind) behind “community-based” entrepreneurship
• Why Arnold says he wouldn’t do it again, but wouldn’t change a thing
• The future of MAUM as a bridge for Asian → U.S. brand expansion

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a community-driven retail brand from scratch, this episode is for you.

Resources & Links
MAUM Website: https://maum.market
MAUM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maum.market
MAUM Store Website: https://maum.store
Arnold Byun LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnoldbyun/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/