Meet Harby Yang | Managing Partner & CEO of Chubby Group

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

Hi Harby, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Our journey began with a simple idea: to redefine Asian cuisine in the US.

Chubby Cattle’s origin story is closely tied to my personal experience. I grew up in Inner Mongolia, where hotpot is one of the traditional meals. Early exposure to the restaurant industry ignited my passion for food and hospitality. In 2014, while in college, I opened a Chinese restaurant in Las Vegas’s Chinatown, but it faced severe financial challenges and incurred losses. Despite widespread skepticism, I transformed this failing venture into my first hot pot restaurant, Chubby Cattle.

Realizing that American exposure to hot pot was limited, I adopted an American perspective. I created a tasting menu, incorporating elements from various cuisines such as French, Chinese, and Japanese. Premium ingredients like Wagyu beef, caviar, and seafood were used. This innovation resonated with diners, propelling the restaurant’s success.

Following the success of the first hot pot restaurant, The X Pot, located in a casino, we haven’t stopped innovating and developing. Over the years, we’ve continuously launched new brands and concepts. Currently, we have 20 restaurants across the United States, including popular spots like The X Pot, Chubby Cattle, Mikiya Wagyu Shabu-Shabu, and NikuX, our Yakiniku restaurant recognized by the Michelin Guide. By 2025, we aim to have 60 restaurants.

In addition to our dining establishments, Chubby Group has introduced distinct consumer product lines, featuring items like Wagyu Rice Bowls and Wagyu Soup Dumplings. We specialize in distributing unmatched Wagyu and Caviar, contributing to elevating the dining scene. The “Chubby Club” loyalty program emphasizes our customer-first philosophy, offering members unparalleled benefits across all entities. With an ambitious trajectory, Chubby Group aims to inaugurate 1,000 locations over the next five years, dedicated to enriching the experiences of Chubby Club aficionados while leveraging the power of our integrated supply chain strategy.

Our continuous innovation and efforts to redefine Asian cuisine in the US have transformed a struggling adventure into a thriving symbol of fusion cuisine and culinary excellence.

How does your business help the community or the world?
Traditional celebrations that bring the city together like the Mid-Autumn Festival, are hard to come by – but here, we always offer a reason to celebrate good times, with great people, and high quality food. Central to our concept is communal dining, where people come together around a shared pot, fostering connections. This approach transforms a meal into a social bonding experience.
We have worked hard on mapping out an updated and more comfortable ambience for this well-loved space and hope to give back to the community by being a destination they can be proud to be a part of.
What truly sets us apart is our contribution to the service industry, especially in Las Vegas. The pride our staff takes in their work goes beyond training; it’s a testament to the culture and prestige we have built. We are more than just a restaurant; we are a community hub and a symbol of culinary innovation.

What makes you happy?
What truly brings me joy is the process of opening a restaurant, especially when it involves innovation and breaking traditional norms. I find immense satisfaction in redefining the concepts of gourmets and culinary experts by introducing new models and approaches in the dining experience. This constant pursuit of innovation in the culinary world is not just a business endeavor for me; it’s a source of personal happiness.

Additionally, my happiness is amplified when all the dishes and ingredients we use exceed my expectations. There’s a unique joy in seeing something you’ve envisioned come to life, especially when it surpasses the standards you’ve set. This not only reflects the quality of our offerings but also signifies the hard work and dedication behind each dish. It’s these moments of surpassing expectations that keep me passionate and deeply connected to my work.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?
I am very fond of challenges; overcoming them brings me immense satisfaction and motivation. If something doesn’t pose a challenge to me, I tend to find it unexciting. In my life and career, risk-taking has often been about embracing these challenges, where the joy of overcoming difficult tasks serves as a driving force.

What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
As someone who started alone in a foreign land and opened a restaurant in Chinatown, I faced many unfair treatments initially. I was determined to redefine Asian cuisine, even in a foreign country. I spent two years specifically researching Wagyu beef market, which taught me the importance of controlling my own supply chain. This empowered me to provide high-quality ingredients for my restaurant group, supporting the realization of my dreams.

How to know whether to keep going or to give up?
I never thought about giving up. From building my restaurant group to date, I haven’t abandoned a single store. For instance, Chubby Cattle Denver, located in an unfamiliar region for me, was initially regretted as a decision mistake. Despite immense challenges during the pandemic, where I almost considered closing it, my team and I managed to save the restaurant through extensive modifications. I’m grateful for not giving up at that time.

Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?
In my world, work always comes first. My restaurant group is not just a job; it’s my dream and passion. It brings me happiness and fulfillment, blending seamlessly into my life. As an entrepreneur, it’s hard to separate work from personal life because it’s like nurturing a child that you’ve raised with your own hands.

How do you define success?
My current achievements are not solely mine; they’re the result of our team’s collective effort. Success is phase-based for me. Even with a large restaurant group now, I don’t consider it my only success. The first phase of success was making my first store self-sustainable. Subsequent successes included elevating hot pot and barbecue to fine dining, becoming the only fine dining hot pot restaurant in Las Vegas casino, being pioneers in integrating NFTs into the dining industry and expanding into our frozen food and Wagyu supply chain. We never forget our initial purpose and hope to contribute more innovations to the dining industry.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Firstly, I want to extend a massive shoutout to my managing partners, David Zhao and Joyce Li. Their roles have been instrumental in shaping our success. David’s strategic insights and Joyce’s operational expertise have been the backbone of our business. Their dedication, coupled with the tireless efforts of our entire team, has been a driving force behind our achievements. The synergy within our team is a testament to their leadership and commitment.

In addition to my professional circle, my family deserves immense credit. Their unwavering support has been my anchor through the highs and lows of my journey. They’ve been there during challenging times, offering encouragement and guidance, and they’ve celebrated with me in moments of triumph. My family’s belief in me has been a constant source of strength and inspiration. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without their love and support.

Website: https://chubbygroup.com/

Instagram: @chubbygrouphospitality, @nikuxla, @wagyuhousebyxpot, @xpotlv, @chubbycattle