Meet Hiroyasu Kato

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hiroyasu Kato a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hiroyasu , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

My approach to work and my work ethic comes from a core belief that it’s most important to offer something enjoyable for our customers. Rather than focusing on my own gain, I put customers’ satisfaction first.

When I was younger, I often acted with a self-centered approach, which caused many issues in both my work and personal relationships. At 24, I experienced a turning point when every team member I worked with decided to quit. I thought I was putting everything into creating a great place to work, but in that moment, I realized how much I had been acting on my own terms without considering others.

This experience taught me to reflect on my weaknesses and to understand the importance of sharing my goals and vision with the team. I became more aware of the value of working as a team and making sure everyone feels included.

That was a major turning point for me, and it shaped my current approach to work and leadership.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

We operate a Japanese izakaya-style restaurant called Gaburi Chicken, specializing in karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and bone-in chicken. As the founder, I first built a chain of 75 stores across Japan. In 2015, I began to dream of opening a location here in Los Angeles. To make that happen, I needed to find a way to step away from my Japanese business and fully commit to launching this restaurant. It took around nine years of preparation and navigating through challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, but I’m thrilled to have finally made this dream a reality.

Our focus is to bring authentic Japanese quality to our customers—not only in our dishes but also in our atmosphere and service. While it’s great to have restaurants offering a wide variety of Japanese dishes, we’re passionate about sharing the very best of Japanese chicken flavors with our guests. That simple dedication is the heart of what we do.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three key elements are: 1) Communication Skills, 2) Leadership, and 3) Marketing.

1. Communication Skills: Providing a service before the customer even asks is what I consider attentiveness. This is made possible by considering things from the customer’s perspective. When there is genuine interest and curiosity in others, and a desire to engage with people deeply, communication skills truly develop.
2. Leadership: I believe leadership involves demonstrating a strong conviction and consistently guiding the team. Conflicts in opinion with team members will inevitably arise. However, I am committed to addressing each of these differences earnestly. This may also tie into communication skills, but I believe the leader’s attitude embodies the entire philosophy of the team. A steady sense of purpose, along with conviction, is absolutely essential for uniting the team.
3. Marketing: No matter how great a product or service is, if people aren’t aware of it, it won’t sell. By understanding what customers need and addressing those needs clearly, excellent products and services can reach customers. Deciding what to sell, to whom, when, and where requires a straightforward approach—and effective marketing is essential to make that happen.”

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I would be very happy to explore any opportunities that come up in the future.

My strength is in creating and building a restaurant. I am skilled at designing the concept, developing the menu, planning the service, and leading the team to bring the ideal restaurant to life.

However, since I have only lived here for two years, I don’t yet have a clear vision for expanding stores. I feel that I don’t fully understand the U.S. market yet; the time has been too short to gain a deep understanding.

Finding ways to grow Gaburi Chicken, which I believe has great potential, is my biggest challenge right now. If I had a partner with expertise in expansion, I think we could share Gaburi Chicken’s appeal with many more people.

I am confident that if I could focus on developing the products, service, and space design, and work together with a partner who specializes in expansion, we could achieve even better results and inspire many people through our work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gaburiusa.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaburi_usa/profilecard/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/7RbEnOO3_I

Image Credits

bone in chicken