A customer once jokingly said that Lee’s Deli one of the fastest sandwich makers west of the Missisippi. Hard to dispute, after all the workers behind the sandwich counter can assemble a sandwich in a matter of minutes.
Serving a few thousand office workers daily, Lee’s Deli has been an icon for fast and value food done fast. Behind the bustling business, there is a great story worth knowing. About four years ago, I was curious to learn more about entrepreneurs and the restaurant industry.
For those who don’t know about Lee’s Deli (not to be confused with Vietnamese sandwich company Lee’s Sandwiches), they have 12 locations in the financial district in downtown San Francisco. They serve sandwiches, hot Chinese foods, and a salad bar. Other items such as drinks and snacks are readily available as well.
Being proactive, I picked up the phone and cold called Lee’s Deli and asked for a meeting with the owner. Lee Quan, aka operation king, invited me to one of his twelve deli’s for a meeting.
For many aspiring restaurant owners, here are a few lessons that will save you a few white hairs and plenty of cash.
6 Must Do’s
1) Look up. When I looked straight forward, I did not see many customers walking along the streets of the financial district. Lee taught me to look up and he saw each office building as a small village of potential customers awaiting his restaurant.
2) Know your customers.Being an observant entrepreneur, Lee taught me that many office workers in the financial district are immigrants from China. He understood that lunch meant a hearty rice meal as oppose to just sandwiches, so he started serving Chinese food in a deli.
3) Range.Customers like variety. Some like to eat Chinese food, others like sandwich. Provide a space that serves all the needs.
4) Rent.Formerly a successful accountant, Lee taught me that a successful operation should be able to pull in sales that make up for the rent in three days or less.
5) Speed.Office workers usually have one hour for lunch so speed is important. Serving sandwiches and serving Chinese food/salad pound for pound made a great concept.
6) Life balance.Lee wanted to spend time with his family over the weekends, so opening a sandwich shop in downtwon San Francisco meant that he did not have to work on weekends.
On a recent visit, Lee’s Deli now sells eel sushi. With a savory note, the pastrami sandwich is still my favorite.
Inspirational story.After graduating from college, Lee worked in the corporate world until his mid 30s. Despite making a six figure great paycheck, Lee was stressed out and had an entrepreneur’s itch. Bravely, he left his corporate job and started a deli. One day, he was sweeping outside his deli when his former co-workers ran into him. The former co-workers were puzzled why Lee had left a stable job to open a deli. Many years later, Lee had the last laugh.
Business Quote:
“GREAT BUSINESS PEOPLE CALCULATE RISK, KNOW AND ANTICIPATE GOOD SCENARIOS AND WORST CASE SCENARIOS”-Lee Quan
Great inspirational story! I have to go out of my way to experience Lee’s Deli.