by Nick Heitman, Meat, Seafood, Beer, Wine & Spirits Category Manager
Tell us a bit about your background: Where are you from originally? When did you come to the U.S.? How did you end up in Wisconsin?
We originally came from Myanmar, also formally known as Burma. I came to the U.S. in 1999 to join the Carnival cruise line as a cook. Before I came to the U.S., I worked at the Traders Hotel Shangri La Group in Yangon, Burma. In July of 2007, we began working with a sushi company as an independent sushi contractor for seven years at Lexington Co-op, located in Buffalo, NY. The company chose us for a better opportunity to run the business at Willy Street Co-op. In March 2014 we started working at Willy Street Co-op—West. During that summer of 2014, the family moved to Wisconsin. We began operating the sushi bar the first week of September 2014 at the East location after the store was remodeled.
What led you into becoming a sushi chef? Have you always had a culinary background?
In May of 1995, I got a position as a cook at the hotel, where I underwent training in a cooking class for three months. The hotel at the time was brand new, and after my training, the hotel opened in August 1995. I gained cooking experience throughout the three and a half years at this job. Then in March of 1999, I accepted a new job offer from Carnival Cruise Line inc., in Miami, Florida. After that, I had a friend working as a sushi chef at his own business in Boston Massachusetts. He asked me to join his sushi business. In August of 2000 I learned how to make sushi and run a business with him for nine months. I came to the realization that I enjoyed the sushi business and decided to move forward with it.
Was your goal to always start your own sushi company?
It had truly been a goal to start a sushi company of my own as a family business, after receiving training in sushi. After my wife and son came to the U.S. in 2004, the family joined the company Sushi With Gusto in 2007. This led to becoming an independent contractor at Lexington Co-op in Buffalo, New York for seven years. We then moved to Willy Street Co-op in 2014 and have been working there until present day. In 2022 after fifteen years of experience, I made the decision to create a company of my own. We began operating as an independent company and have been doing business with the co-op directly.
What are the differences between working for a large sushi supplier, and owning your own business?
The major differences are commissions, hidden fees, food-supply mass orders once a month, quality of products not being consistent in a larger sushi supplier, and not being able to reject any supplies during delivery. When the large company sends a mass order of supplies, it complicates things for us as the co-op does not have enough backstock space to accommodate storage. The sushi prices are non-adjustable even though the sushi supplies have gone up consistently.
How is your product different from what customers can find in other grocery stores?
We offer mostly gluten-free sushi created with all natural ingredients. We use high-quality seafood and organic vegetables. We have more vegan and vegetarian options.
What led you to start working with us at Willy Street Co-op?
Willy Street Co-op has high standards, with a friendly environment. As well as professional employees and management staff, the members and owners of Willy Street that shop regularly hold high expectations. They have the desire to eat a healthy lifestyle. This is something we believe we can do to satisfy customers, making us different from other Sushi bars at grocery stores. We make quality sushi at a reasonable price.
Your family is involved in the business as well. What are the benefits of being able to work with them?
Everybody in the family has had a role throughout creating the business. My son has helped with the paperwork. The benefits of being able to work with them is the flexibility and being able to create a plan.
What are some challenges you’ve faced as an immigrant in the U.S.?
The language and culture barrier was a major one.
What are your favorite products that you produce/sell at the co-op?
Our favorite sushi rolls we like to sell are our Salmon Avocado rolls and our Tuna Nigiri. They are 100% natural, wild caught with no food coloring or carbon monoxide treated. This is not being sold at any other grocery store which makes it one of our top favorites being popular amongst the customers. We also prefer our sushi with brown rice, due to its health benefits and fiber content.
What are some things you like to do in your limited free time?
Some things we like to do in our limited amount of free time is meditating, reading, and spending time with family.