Five cooks work in the galley kitchen, putting in 12-hour days. Mizuna can't pay the cooks the higher salaries the chain restaurants are offering, but they are staying for the learning experience, he said. If money is all you're interested in, you're never going to be a good cook. These guys are definitely here for the experience. I'm lucky to have the staff that I have here.
Luck is a recurring theme for the owners.
From the very beginning everything seemed to fall into place for them, from negotiating the location to gaining the experienced wait staff that agreed to stay on after the sale, Fleischmann said. Five waiters, the busser, the bartender and sous chef Jeff Saudo all remained. Although labor and food costs are somewhat high, the business has been solid so far, Fleischmann said.