Meet Josh Kim and Sam Hong | Co-Founders, Softies Burger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Kim and Sam Hong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh Kim and Sam Hong, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is an extremely counterintuitive idea in Asian-American culture. Because our parents took the biggest risk in moving to the US, and struggled in ways we could never imagine, their sole motivation was to allow us to not have to do this for ourselves – it’s the price they paid for us to have a “good” life.

But as we forge our own path, we’re forced to de- and re-construct our relationship to risk. Yes, the food industry is notoriously risky, but if we believe in our product, why is it so scary to us? What is actually on the other side of our risk? How come the safe, comfortable life is so promising yet so often unfulfilling? Is the best way to honor our parents’ sacrifice really to be so calculative and pragmatic? Or is the gift of their risk that we can now afford to do the same, not for survival’s sake, but to pursue our true passions in ways that they couldn’t?

These are the questions we are confronting in real time. The answers are clearer some days than others, but we are confident that they are worthwhile questions to ask!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Softies is a burger pop-up that was started in August 2022, while we both had full-time tech jobs. Neither of us have formal restaurant experience (we’re just good home cooks), which allows us a level of freedom in what we create, without being bound to technique or tradition. This has allowed us to make burgers that are unique, sometimes daringly so, because we don’t feel any pressure to make burgers “as they should be made.” We’re proud that despite our lack of experience, we always do things the best that we can, and always in our own way – our food, our hospitality, and our marketing/branding.

Getting to this point of being a permanent vendor at Smorgasburg (the largest open-air food market in the US) was a mix of hard work and luck (we firmly believe that the former creates opportunities for the latter). In our earliest stages, our only focus was on each individual pop-up; we didn’t have grand plans or hopes for what was next. We would drive around 3-4 markets to source all our ingredients and prep out of our homes til 2 or 3am.

This faithfulness to the little things and the behind-the-scenes work helped us focus on making the best product possible, without creating unrealistic expectations. None of the work was easy, but breaking them up into small obstacles and challenges helped us develop the muscle of figuring things out as we go. In that sense, our growth happened gradually, and then suddenly: as we built knowledge and expertise, we put ourselves in positions to get lucky with opportunities like Smorgasburg.

The lessons we’ve learned are very simple:

1) Hard work beats talent or skill, every. single. time.
2) Done is better than perfect – don’t paralyze yourself from putting things out because they’re not 100% perfect!
3) “Success is paved with mistakes well handled” (Danny Meyer). Be quick to make mistakes, and quicker to learn from them.
4) Find your vision (your North Star) and stay true to it in every decision you make.
5) Hospitality is always worth it – it starts within your team, and then extends to your guests. It HAS to be in that order.

We’d love for people to know that our little burger pop-up is about food, of course, but it’s also a collective journey in learning the above lessons in real time. We’re so honored that people enjoy our burgers, but especially that they believe and support us as we grow and get better every week.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Our personal tastes align with our business – we enjoy food and drink that is simple, unpretentious, yet delicious and fun.

We’d recommend Cafe Dulce for some delicious coffee and pastries, Bub & Grandma’s for breakfast or lunch, Amboy or Howlin Rays for a mid-day burger or fried chicken sandwich, and Pine & Crane or Jinsol Gukbap for a comforting dinner. Late night tacos at Tire Shop Taqueria are a must.

Now Serving is a wonderful bookstore focused on hospitality, and Cookbook or Flask & Field are amazing spots to buy wines and snacks for a picnic at Barnsdall Park in Los Feliz.

The vibes are always great at Lowboy or Bar Flores for beer & cocktails, and Wolf & Crane is our favorite place to get a crushable highball. For wine, hit up Cafe Triste or Melody!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Firstly, all credit has to go to both of our parents. They taught by example, showing us what it means to work hard for the people you love.

For Josh:

My closest friends and family make me who I am and reveal all of my (many) blind spots. They believe in me even when I don’t, and motivate me to continue becoming the man that I want to become. Aside from them, I have been so moved by two books – “Setting the Table” by Danny Meyer and “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara. These books helped me reaffirm that my true passion is in hospitality, and making others feel loved through food.

For Sam:

I’m grateful for my wife who has been the perfect partner and a constant support. She encourages me to keep pushing and inspires me to dream big. My sons are my greatest motivation, and I hope to demonstrate through my actions that working hard for something you believe in is always worthwhile. Lastly I’m grateful to my sister who has been my steadfast supporter, and for her unwavering belief in me.

Website: https://softiesburger.square.site

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

Image Credits
David Rho