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

Hi Hiro, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
So far in my life, I have taken 2 big risks. The first was moving to the United States
from Japan at the age of 18. The second was at 37, when I started my own
business. I am incredibly thankful for taking those risks as they have dramatically
changed the course of my life and given me the life I’ve always dreamed of.
However, what I have learned along the way is that it is important to be smart about
the risks you take and not just make decisions impulsively. What I have come to
believe is that a life can go from the ordinary to the extraordinary with some well
thought out risks.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a bakery & Cafe and we specialize in gluten-free items. Our entire store is dedicated gluten-free. What sets us apart from other businesses is the knowledge and the skill we have to make one the best gluten-free breads in the country. It took 10 years to get to the point I am at today. The first 3-4 years were very difficult. I had to work 14 hour days, 7 days a week. There was no guarantee that our store was going to survive, many don’t, which created almost constant anxiety. However, once we made it through 5 years and were still doing okay, I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is 5 years past that now and we have perfected our bread to the point that it is sought after and now, wholesaled to several restaurants in the LA area to be the gluten-free bread option.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would start out the day surfing at Huntington Beach. We would definitely hit a Dodgers game and grab a Dodger Dog. Hopefully Ohtani would be pitching or hit a home run. We would go brewery hopping and try out some of the best West Coast IPA’s. We would eat some nice California cuisine at Republique. We would get some Korean barbeque in Korea town We would take a hike in Griffith Park.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This would definitely be my father. He too is an entrepreneur and owns several businesses in Japan. I grew up seeing how critical working hard is to becoming successful. It was modeled for me the importance of being self-motivated and of having a never-give-up mentality. Even though my father lives in Japan and my businesses are in the US, we are in frequent contact where he helps guide me through obstacles as well as celebrating my successes.

Website: https://kirariwest.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirariwest/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kirari-west-bake-shop-redondo-beach?osq=Kirari+West+Bake+Shop

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.