Meet Eugene Uechi | Tattoo artist and restaurant owner

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

Hi Eugene, is there something you believe many others might not?
Choosing one thing and sticking with it. I think it’s important asa business owner and a creative director to experience and try new things all the time.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I moved to the states from Japan when I was 10 years old so English is my second language. Since moving here and starting school was very difficult all of my attention went to any sort of California subculture. I grew up skateboarding and going to shows learning how to draw, playing music in bands and essentially that’s what shaped me as a small business owner today.

A couple years after I became a tattoo artist I was given the opportunity to be a creative director of a restaurant and to partner with my friend Dominic Booker and Carlye O’hanna. They have always asked me to make them art for there pop up events and flyers and when it was a go to start a business they were nice enough to include me in it.

I’m mostly proud of saying yes to these opportunities to keep me moving forward. I have been tattooing for 4 years now and have stayed consistently busy through out those years thanks to my clients and friends and our restaurant has been open for about a year and a half!

It’s been exciting, tough and confusing all at the same time throughout the years. Learning to tattoo is hard, learning how to run a restaurant is hard. I learned that if you hyper focus on what you’re doing in the moment you can actually see your self progress. It may look like I’m juggling a lot but I do my best to appreciate the fact that I’m given this opportunity and that as long as I keep trying my very best that it’s all gona work out the way it’s supposed to.

I want the world to know that I love what I do and that if you wanna come eat breakfast and come get tattooed I’m your guy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Honestly I would take them to my restaurant then give them a tattoo after but aside from that there is plenty of awesome small businesses in Costa Mesa Santa Ana area that I love.

My favorite coffee shops are milligram and common room roasters.

Favorite Japanese restaurants would tanakaya (soba) kagura (katsu) kashiwa ramen and Kuro (pizza)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My clients and everyone that has stepped foot into Santa Ana brunch club. My business partners and my hardworking staff at the restaurant

Instagram: @eugeneuechi @santaanabrunchclub

Image Credits
@bloomxphoto Oscar Rodriguez Food photos by @eugeneuechi Eugene Uechi