We had the good fortune of connecting with Takahiko Sugita and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Takahiko, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I worked for a Japanese grocery store in Los Angeles for eight years, and then worked for another company in Houston, Texas as a general manager for the startup of a Japanese grocery store. When it opened the Houston store, many customers said, “Thank you” and “We’ve been waiting for you.” At that time, I decided to open my own Japanese grocery store in a local city. In these chaotic times, we created a unique only one strategy rather than being number one.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Before opening my physical store in Atlanta, I rented a warehouse in Los Angeles and opened an online store. From the start, we posted on SNS every day and worked hard to increase awareness. The core of my business is valuing the Japanese spirit of hospitality. We have gone through trial and error to provide our customers with a level of excitement that goes beyond customer satisfaction. In addition, we have continued to make improvements and reforms to our current status. What I learned through this process is to never give up and to put the happiness of my employees first.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Most of my friends value experiencing nature. Perhaps when friends come to visit, you’ll camp, fish, or have a barbecue on the shores of a lake or river. We all fight on the battlefield every day in business, so it’s an escape from reality: buying groceries at the supermarket, walking in the mountains, looking at the stars, sleeping in a tent.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I realy love the concept of ZAPPOS and I went to ZAPPOS headquarter office in Las Vegas to join the office tour too. And my favorite book is “Delivering Happiness” By Tony Hsieh.

Website: https://gohanmarket.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gohan_market/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GohanMarket/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GOHANMarket/C

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gohan-market-peachtree-corners-2

Image Credits
GOHAN Market

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