The Grit and Grow Podcast
The Grit and Grow Podcast delivers in-depth, unfiltered interviews featuring emerging entrepreneurs and start-up founders. Join us as we dive into their vision for change, explore their sources of motivation, confront their fears and failures, and uncover the pivotal moments that propelled their ideas into reality.
The Grit and Grow Podcast
Crafting Bingsoo and Building Community: Albert Suh's Journey from Dry Cleaning to Korean Dessert Success | Ep38 #gritandgrowpodcast
From dry cleaning to frosty delights, Albert Suh's entrepreneurial path is as unique as the Bingsoo he crafts at Frostails Korean Dessert House. This episode takes you behind the scenes with the charismatic founder and CEO, where he shares his kaleidoscopic journey—encompassing his Korean heritage, the 2002 World Cup, and the challenges of changing industries—to create a dessert haven in Gilbert, Arizona. Experience the passion and dedication that goes into melding cultures and flavors, as Albert reveals how he adapted the traditional Korean Bingsoo to enchant American palates, transforming a cozy corner in Verde at Cooley Station into a dessert destination.
Albert insists that the heart of any business lies within genuine interactions and creating a space that feels like home to the community. As you listen, you'll gather insights on how pivotal customer service and engagement are to cultivating die-hard fans and ensuring business endurance. The story of Frostails is not just about ice and sweet treats; it's about nurturing relationships, overcoming the odds to find the perfect location, and the resolve to establish a brand that stands out even in the challenging tapestry of new ventures.
Navigating the business landscape as a minority entrepreneur, Albert lays bare the adversities he has faced, from confronting prejudice to the complexities of securing funding. His narrative is a powerful reminder of the resilience and confidence needed to forge success in the face of adversity. Join us as Albert shares his aspirations for expansion, the value of a strong social media presence, and the joy he finds in building a business that not only serves delectable desserts but also fosters a sense of community and belonging. His inspiring tale is a masterclass for anyone looking to make their mark in the world of entrepreneurship while staying true to their roots and values.
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You're tuned in to the Grit and Grow podcast. Welcome back to the Grit and Grow podcast here today to help us answer the question how does a minority entrepreneur find success in the frozen dessert industry? He's founder and CEO of Frost Tales Korean Dessert House in Gilbert Arizona. Albert Suh, welcome to the show, thank you.
Speaker 2:Welcome, Albert. Yeah, thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:I'm excited. It's awesome having you here.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're excited. So you've got quite a background. You've been in dry cleaning and then you're a taekwondo instructor. I understand, correct. You've got a lot of cool experiences leading up to Frost Tales.
Speaker 2:Yes, you've got a lot of cool experiences leading up to Frosthales. Yes, I've been in a small business for a long time technically the dry cleaning business since 97 and then, when I came out to Arizona for college, I decided to open one up during my college years, just because that's what I knew how to do and I needed money, so I figured that's the best thing to do so we met.
Speaker 1:so Albert was my dry cleaner for years and years and I remember the stories that you would tell me about. Man, I've been thinking about doing this. I have this idea in the back of my mind. When I'm ready, I'm going to tell you more. And I'd keep coming back and I wanted to hear more and more, and it was just unfolding over time and years went by until you and then you finally were like this is what I'm getting ready to do. I'm going to roll out this, this custom, brand new business. No one's ever seen anything like it in the United States and tell us a little bit more about your concept.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I. The idea came in college in 2007. I said I wouldn't do it unless I had money to throw around. It does take a lot of money to do a new startup, branding, marketing. There's a lot involved. And then about 2018 is when I started to fully implement that. I'm ready for it and obviously COVID happened, so that kind of delayed it. However, I still pushed through it, and then in 2022 is when I opened it in October. Um, yeah.
Speaker 3:I want to know the genesis of the idea, though. So what were you doing? Where were you like? How did this idea come to you?
Speaker 2:Okay, so I've been born a current American. I'm proud of my heritage, but I will say I was not proud to be a Korean up until the 2002 World Cup. So for the longest time I considered myself an American, which I am, but I didn't like Koreans, I didn't like Asians. I was white. I like wearing Abercrombie and Fitch wearing a North Face backpack J Crew.
Speaker 2:That was my thing After the World Cup. I was like, wow, that's cool, that's my country, I'm in the World Cup. I was like, wow, that's cool, that's my country On the World Cup, the largest stage for soccer. Then I started to understand my culture, I started to appreciate it more and that's when I go. For all those years that I've hated on my country, I should probably pay it back.
Speaker 2:So then in college I was figuring out what I can do. Maybe do this type of dish or that type of dish, but I also had to take into consideration where I want to find employees. How is it going to be training? I took everything into consideration. So I would say, one restaurant not doing it, too many people involved and just too many variables to go wrong as far as a restaurant business, and it's expensive.
Speaker 2:Then the dessert business, which is Bingsoo, which is the biggest dessert in Korea. So here we have ice cream Bingsoo. Bingsoo, yes, it's a Korean snow dessert. So I go, wow, that would probably be my best route of paying back to Korea. And so I was trying to figure out what's the best way, what's the best of both cultures, of American culture, korean culture. Make it easy on my employees. Just a lot of things going at it. So probably towards my yeah, I would say my last semester of college is when I wanted to give it a go. But then I realized, yeah, I really can't, if I want to fully do it correctly, you can't kind of half-ass it.
Speaker 1:You have to do it.
Speaker 2:You're going to do it correctly. So I still have the notes from them in college. I found it probably five years ago, that's awesome From 2007? Yes, I jotted everything down and it was cool. Actually, in 2007, I worked at Starbucks for seven weeks to understand their business concept, because I firmly believe they still have a great business model, as much as people hate on Starbucks.
Speaker 3:Where do you go? I don't hate on Starbucks. I still go there a lot.
Speaker 2:It's a comfort thing you know what you're going to get. You know what to get. There's something for everyone. You don't have to like coffee to go there. You can get a pastry.
Speaker 1:It's an experience People know you Exactly so it was.
Speaker 2:How can I implement that into a Korean style? I feel like you've done that.
Speaker 1:Yep, so that thing. I've been to Albert's place, I've been to Frost Hills. I've tried the Bing Su. It is amazing. It's unlike anything I've ever had here. As far as like American desserts, ice cream we're big ice cream people, but nothing like what you've come up with the snow is actually yogurt so I've traditional bingsu is shaved ice and then they did milk snow.
Speaker 2:And then for me, how can I make it healthier?
Speaker 3:so.
Speaker 2:I have yogurt powder from Korea and yummier so healthy, yummy.
Speaker 2:so that is our most popular. I call it a base, so yogurt base, but we also do a vanilla snow as well as a chocolate snow. And then you can add different sauces. Right, and all our sauces are from Korea as well. We have caramel, chocolate, citron, which is like a lemon. We have mango, strawberry, green grape and grapefruit. So we have seven different sauces you can add. And then the fruits you can add. We have blueberries, cherries, mangoes, pineapples and strawberries. Those are not from Korea, those are either from the US or Mexico, but they're all organic. So everything is top of the line. So that's our bingsu.
Speaker 1:That's our most popular item. You have a whole series of drinks as well sodas, correct. I think you had me sample a soda. I was there for like hours one day and was like I was at a sugar rush by the time I left. You can get trapped. I was, but I didn't want to leave. It wasn't a trap, it was like I actually have to go. Now I have to go. I can't have another item here. It was so good though.
Speaker 2:We make Korean coffee drinks. They've been really popular now that I'm very proud of what we can push out. The coffees are very popular. The other day a family in town for a wedding from the south, I think, like Louisiana or Mississippi one person got coffee. Another person came and said can I get the same thing? Another member of the family, can I get that coffee too?
Speaker 3:So we had four cups of coffee, so we got coffee.
Speaker 2:We have frappuccinos using same thing Korean ingredients. The sodas are very popular. We did events at ASU Poly where we'd make 400 sodas at a time, so that was awesome. And then we also at ASU Poly where we'd make 400 sodas at a time, so that was awesome.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:And then we also had non-carbonated drinks and also hot drinks, so literally just like Starbucks whatever you create we got something for everyone, and then, on top of that, we also have Korean chips, we have Korean noodles, korean bacon.
Speaker 1:And these are all like imported snacks, right? Like different things. Everything is from.
Speaker 2:Korea Literally everything, even our bottle water from Korea.
Speaker 1:Thank you for that. By the way, it is very good, so I don't.
Speaker 2:I won't substitute anything or anything that I can get my hands on. I will make sure it's from Korea, right, my house, my literally my shop, says Korean dessert house. A lot of Asian restaurants, asian businesses will mix Japanese and Korean culture and Chinese. Not with me. If it's not from Korea, I'm not going to carry it.
Speaker 3:That's cool and so tell our listeners how you accomplish that, what you actually do, the lengths you go to to make sure that this is the case. So it is hard.
Speaker 2:I'm dealing with these big companies, right? These are the biggest of big companies in Korea. I'm the small fish in the sea. I have to. I have a way with words.
Speaker 2:I'm able to massage them, give them my pitch on what I'm trying to do. A lot of the stuff, or a majority of the stuff that you see in my store will be from grocery stores. You can't get it at a convenience store or Walgreens. So I told them this is a concept that I want to put out. Why not have it be like a convenience store in America selling individual items? And I like that idea. They gave me a shot. Next thing, you know I'm buying more and more product. Now they realize I'm a revenue stream for them. And then, perfect example, one of the items that I wanted to carry was all in Korean. I told them, in order for me to carry it, it has to be in English. Six months later, hey, we have that product in English now. Do you want to carry it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's been a hot item right now.
Speaker 2:That's good. And what is that? So it's a sour candy. Okay, american culture we love sour stuff. We do. Even though we hate it, we, we love it maybe we all squint, but we like it, so I carry it, and they've been, you know, flying off the shelf.
Speaker 1:So, albert, you're your second generation korean, is that right?
Speaker 2:yeah, my parents, yeah, my parents came over here and then I was born here, okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:And your whole family worked together then in the dry cleaning business, correct?
Speaker 2:So in New Jersey, that's where I grew up, that's where the dry cleaning business was. I would work there before school and after school. That's why I knew the business. Got to college, started my own, told my parents to sell theirs to come here.
Speaker 1:Obviously I'm an only child they want to be closer to me, so technically they're working for me for the last decade and a half or so, so I was paying them on payroll so how do you, how do you go from this entirely service-based business like, yes, there's customers involved, but there's really not, there's really no product per se? I mean, there's some correct service-based product that you had, like the lockers and things like that, but to go from this entirely service-based business to now you're in the business of fun and providing some sort of entertainment, so to speak, to bring joy to people, are you finding that fulfillment in that as well?
Speaker 2:It's more fulfillment than I thought. Okay, so originally I just was trying to introduce culture to Gilbert, to the non-Asians or people that have never had bingsu before. But when I see the little kid or even the parents, one bite in and they're just blown away or some profanity, saying this is the most amazing, whatever right. That brings a lot more enjoyment and no disrespect to my dry cleaning business. I love the two. I have great customers and they still reach out to me. They visit my shop as well.
Speaker 2:We miss you I hear that often I see reviews that will say that they miss me. Yeah, it's a different business and it was definitely more than I calculated. I thought it's just another business.
Speaker 1:No, big deal, but there's so many details. So just kind of moving into the concept aspect, this segment of our show, we wanted to kind of just discuss taking this concept from just the concept to bring it to reality. And now you've got a, a brand and a product from scratch, correct?
Speaker 3:Can I ask a question before?
Speaker 1:we actually go there.
Speaker 3:What I'm what I'm trying to. What I would like to understand is is how did the dry cleaning business that experience? How has that informed how you're going about building?
Speaker 2:FrostTales.
Speaker 3:Because you had talked to us previously about basically being intentional, about taking your time before trying to launch a new business building up a capital base, making sure you have the cash to make it work. So maybe talk a little bit about that first, and then we can definitely drill down into the FrostTales concept, which is awesome. How did being the owner of a dry cleaning business prepare you for what you're doing now?
Speaker 2:So with any business I've always said, if it's a product or a service or whatever, customer service is number one. Perfect example is food business you can have the shittiest food, but if you have a great experience you're going to come back. Perfect example is Asian business Great food but shitty service. People don't want to go back Because at the end of the day, and especially in American culture, we love our experiences, and that's what I look at Dry cleaning too. I realize people didn't come for the product. I mean, yes, our product was great and everything, but they like the fact that they can talk to me about whatever they're going on in their life.
Speaker 1:You made it personal, correct.
Speaker 2:And there was a connection there.
Speaker 1:I mean, obviously we still have it going today.
Speaker 2:Correct, so same thing with Starbucks going today. Correct, so same thing with Starbucks. That's where I learned right, yes, you're getting a cup of coffee. My first thing that I learned is the interaction is important because out of their house, their first interaction with someone would be your barista. Right, you can make or break someone's day Just even saying hello, how are you? Simple thing like that will get someone to react. Wait, did you just ask me how my day is? I get that too. At my dry cleaners and Frostails. I've had people just look at me like you just asked me how I'm doing. They were surprised by you asking the question.
Speaker 2:Because we're so glued to our phone.
Speaker 2:We don't talk to people. So that got me ready from dry cleaners to Frostails was the fact that it's kind of the same thing. I wanted to create that experience, but now I was providing something edible, something that was a bigger audience. Dry cleaning is a very niche business, especially the concept that I had you had to have some disposable income to be a customer, whereas my dessert everyone loves dessert. So that was what also intrigued me going from dry cleaning to that is I was able to grow the audience, reach out to more people, because, at the end of the day, my goal is to give people a good experience and that's what I wanted to do as far as Frostails is to provide a good experience, bring some culture. So the dry cleaning did prepare me, not only monetarily to get into Frostails, but whatever I did there as far as building a fan base, that's what I was able to do with this new business as well, and that's why I believe Starbucks, dutch Bros, chick-fil-a, they all do well in and out is because they build a fan base.
Speaker 2:You build passionate customers. They're going to keep coming back. Same with the dry cleaners. I sold it almost two years ago. I still have people message me, or even Jay, he goes, I miss it's been two years. At the end of the day, you just think, oh, you're just cleaning my clothes, but it was more than just cleaning your clothes. So even with the dessert, people love dessert, but they love the fact that they can talk to me about what's going on. If you read any of our reviews on Google or Yelp, it is very personal too, even at Frost House, and we do maintain a five-star rating.
Speaker 1:Yes, you do. That's great. Congrats on that. That's amazing. And it's hard to do especially in food service, any any kind. You know, there's always going to be somebody that's not happy, and I didn't see anybody that was yeah, so that wasn't happy, everybody was happy. So one of the questions I had was, again like going back to concept, to reality. How did you choose your location? Because you're located at the Verde Complex at Cooley Station in Gilbert, correct. So how did you choose this?
Speaker 2:location. So it was on my first location. It was actually across from my dry cleaners, which would have been at Gilbert and Queen Creek.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:That was my. I had a lease signed and everything, a deposit, and then COVID through everything until Tailspin. So everything happens for a reason. And then I was looking and a lot of people didn't give me a chance. It was very hard. I wanted to be in downtown Gilbert that's where the hotspot is. I got denied. One developer pushed me around for a year and then eventually said no, we're not interested. And I get it. It's a new startup. Startups are very hard. They all want to go with the franchise. It's established. That's why you see all the new developments with all the franchise. They have the deep pockets. It's a proven method Less risk. It was hard, depending on who the franchisees are.
Speaker 3:Not all of them have deep pockets, but generally what happens.
Speaker 2:If they don't, then the franchisor takes over Right, and so then they're okay with it, because there's a corporate back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a corporate will end up taking that restaurant over, whereas mine.
Speaker 2:if I go belly up, then it's vacant Right. Then they got to find another tenant and then it's a whole. I can do it all over again. But, um, thanks to Verde, coolie Station, the ownership, norm Brody, uh, luckily he knew what Bingsoo was. I mentioned him the idea he was in love with it, and so he gave me an opportunity.
Speaker 3:So it was the concept, it was the Korean dessert concept that was not attractive enough, apparently.
Speaker 2:Yes, and no, no, but it's not.
Speaker 3:I don't see how that would be, it's going outside the box.
Speaker 1:He's just saying if there was a franchise backing the Korean dessert, then it would have had maybe a better chance.
Speaker 2:So maybe five years from now, if I have multiple stories, I'm sure they'll be. Hey, can you?
Speaker 1:put your concept in there.
Speaker 2:But being a startup, it's not so yeah. So Norm Brody over at Verde Equally Station. I gave him my pitch, he was happy, he was on board and that's kind of how I chose that spot. I did choose it also because of the amphitheater where there's live music. There's a stage. My vision was that we'll have performances there and live music.
Speaker 1:And this you just saw come to fruition.
Speaker 2:Correct. So we've done a lot of events there, a lot of K-pop events. K-pop is very hot right now. We have vendors that sell K-pop merchandise, we have K-pop dance groups performing on stage and then the last couple of months we've been doing some live music with local bands in Gilbert. We're talking kids in middle school and high school kids to give them a platform to play music.
Speaker 2:Music's going by the wayside. I was a product of music. I played piano, violin, guitar. Yes, very Asian. I love music. I think that's great for the kids, but it's kind of getting kicked to the curb, and so I was reached out by one of the band members' mom. We started talking and then the music teacher got involved and hey, let's put on a performance. And I said cool. And so that's kind of how it came to fruition.
Speaker 1:That's really cool.
Speaker 2:So I love giving back to the community. My dry cleaners I used to donate to the local schools Retailing Unified School District, especially Perry High School. Perry High School is very popular right now because of Brock Purdy. I did see him on the sidelines. I donated just enough money to be on the sidelines when he was at football, so I got to see him grow up, that's really cool.
Speaker 2:That's what I like to do with businesses. So this business hasn't gone there for me to donate a ton of money yet, but I will get there eventually. But for now, what I can do is offer my establishment the opportunity for such events.
Speaker 3:And going back to the music thing real quick, though Gilbert's been in the news a lot lately the Gilbert Goons, all that kind of thing. I think it's really cool that you're providing this venue, this outlet, especially on the weekends, right, because that's when kids are going out and trouble can generally happen. It can happen on any day of the week, but especially weekends. I just think that's really really neat that you're fostering that.
Speaker 2:I am, we're all a kid inside still. We know how hard it was. It's getting harder and, like you said, the Gilbert goons and if you're trying to not cause trouble, you got to be around music or a hobby and the music is a hobby for them and the shopping center is a great area. We're in between Higley High School and Williamsfield High School and also ASU for them, and the shopping center is a great area. We're in between higley high school and williams field high school and also asu poly, right. So we got tons of kids right coming around. That's so great. We much rather have them go watch music than go hang out at some house and you know what they're doing. Yep, so this is my way of hey, you know, if you got a band, if you want to perform, we'll make it a thing. So that's kind of hopefully gross from there.
Speaker 1:And so Frost Tales is a sponsor of these concert nights. Correct, yes, very cool. Is there like an age cap on these?
Speaker 2:I think it's high school. It's just through high school. Yeah, it's really cool.
Speaker 1:So the last time you did this, it was just this past Saturday night, Correct it was this past Saturday night. And how many bands did you?
Speaker 2:say, came out, we had five bands. The first one, we had two bands, and then this one, we had five, five bands so a couple hours or so. Yeah, so from 4 to 8.30.
Speaker 1:And is everybody in your complex on board with this?
Speaker 2:Yes, and no. Is everybody in your complex on board with this? Yes and no, it's just music.
Speaker 1:It's an amphitheater.
Speaker 3:It's a healthy event for kids.
Speaker 2:Sure, some music. You might not like it. I might not like it either, but at the end of the day I'm doing it for the kids. We're not talking these adults, we're talking kids. Like you said, there's a lot of stuff going on. It's harder for kids so you're taking away from them to play music. They play in the garage or the living room. I mean, where else do you have a place to play in public?
Speaker 1:Not in a parking lot, in an amphitheater with lights, or to test it, just to test the whole test your songs, test your audience test everybody yeah and you don't have to pay for it.
Speaker 2:right, I'm providing you an area, a safe space with grass, and then you can eat at the local restaurants that are in the shopping center. Grab dessert, grab water, grab snacks right, that's so great. So it's a win-win for everyone. It helps business, brings more awareness, gets kids off the streets.
Speaker 3:Yeah, what's not to like about that I know?
Speaker 2:Where else can you find a venue like that, not even downtown Gilbert. I've never heard of that before.
Speaker 1:I do think it's kind of ironic, though, that it's the bar that's complaining. Right, it's the bar.
Speaker 3:It's kind of ironic. There is some irony in that I would have to say I don't know.
Speaker 2:One of my customers said that it is ironic of all the businesses it's a bar is over there.
Speaker 1:I'm afraid you're just too darn loud you know it's.
Speaker 2:If it was every day, you know it'd be different, but it's, it's, you know, once a month maybe yeah, that's you know, come on people. Yeah, I know, but can't make everyone happy. What are you going to do? Can't please everyone all the time.
Speaker 1:You can't.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you can't, but you definitely are pleasing people at Frosthales and so bingsu is your. Did I say that correctly? Bing Bingsu is your primary menu item, but you also offer other Korean-specific food items and things that people can actually maybe find and purchase at your place.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, like we said earlier, drinks right, any drink you can think of If you want. Caffeine, not caffeine. Sodas, not carbonated, hot teas, hot coffees, snacks such as there's a Fuego chip, there's a sour cream and onion. I mean all American stuff but Korean style. So, it's much healthier, much cleaner, not oily. We even have Korean sun chips that are very popular.
Speaker 2:Not had those. Garlic baguette is the flavor, oh, that sounds good, it's really good. Another popular mine is a honey butter chip. Had those. Garlic baguette is the flavor, oh, that sounds good, it's really good. Uh, another popular mine is a honey butter chip I call it a movie theater in a bag okay, three things I like very much all in one bag and then, uh, we have noodles.
Speaker 2:Our most popular is bulldog. Bulldog is all over tiktok. Uh, I'll have so many kids come in their eyes. Eyes get big, like you have Bulldog. I'm like yeah, and we've had them for a long time and it's particularly the one. It's the Carbonara, it's the pink, I don't know why, but it's popular over TikTok.
Speaker 2:And then lately it's been trending as kimchi. I don't know if you guys heard of kimchi. It's a fermented cabbage, so we make that in-house and we sell a lot of it, and even just yesterday I think she's probably in elementary or middle school she's like you have kimchi and I'm like, yeah, have you had it? She's like no, how?
Speaker 3:do you?
Speaker 2:know it, she's like TikTok.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, of course.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tiktok. So kimchi's a thing you know.
Speaker 1:Unbelievable.
Speaker 3:And so Frost Tales, so so Frost Tales. So I get the impression that maybe you haven't fully reached the crescendo yet, or where you really want to go with this dream, so tell us about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I've been in this business. I've been rolling out on stages. I don't put everything all together at once to keep people coming back. It's like Starbucks when you have pumpkin spice for the fall season. So, yes, our name Frost Tale is not because of a dog. It's because I never thought of that.
Speaker 1:I've had people reach out to me like is this a dog shop?
Speaker 2:It's like. No, it's not a dog shop.
Speaker 1:I just remember that show. Remember that it was like a cartoon from the 80s. It was called like Shirt Tales, I think. Remember that one. I had to think about that one be old, I don't know.
Speaker 3:I guess I'm older I watched too much TV when. I was a kid.
Speaker 1:Maybe both.
Speaker 2:We're all getting older, frost and cocktails. So you combine the words and it becomes frost tales. So, yes, our next stage in business is to introduce alcohol as a business owner, as a business mindset. Yes, alcohol makes money. So that is why, eventually, we'll be adding alcohol, but, like you would guess, it would have to be Korean alcohol, soju, which I would just simplify it it's Korean vodka.
Speaker 1:So these are Korean cocktails?
Speaker 2:Yes, I will be making Korean cocktails Same thing, so they don't make those in Korea but I will be making them and I've tried it. I've taste tested it. It's gotten great feedback.
Speaker 1:You may have to expand here shortly, right? If you add this, you're going to need more space.
Speaker 3:Well, you just took that out on the grass, and are these taste tests impromptu? Can we know when the next? You guys are more than welcome to come by Off book.
Speaker 1:I love that idea Taste test is coming up. We more than welcome to come by Off book. I love that idea. Taste test is coming up. We can just happen to show up. We can even be anonymous taste testers. Yeah, nobody needs to be named, you can just come.
Speaker 2:The only taste testers are people that I know.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Because, technically right, I don't have a license Right, of course, so it's my friends, it's just a house party.
Speaker 1:It's just a house party. Don't call the cops. Okay, promise it won't happen.
Speaker 2:Soju has a very popular alcoholic beverage. I will be introducing something different. I like to do different, unique items. I don't like to carry stuff that you just can buy at your grocery or local Korean grocery store. I don't know if you noticed. So this is my sweatshirt.
Speaker 1:I was going to ask you about that next.
Speaker 2:So it's Kore which is a whale.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It's from Jeju Island, which is like Hawaii. It's a very popular. Everything in Jeju is the top notch. So we have Jeju orange juice in our store, which is top notch. This is from Jeju Island as well. This is phenomenal by this is from Jeju Island as well. This is phenomenal, by the way.
Speaker 1:They use this water to make soju. This is Dr Yoo, dr Yoo, yes. Are these companies related? They are not related.
Speaker 2:But, yes, korea is very cheesy on their names. Dr Yoo, we have a chocolate cake called oh yes. Oh yes, korea needs to work on their marketing, but it is what it is, anyway. So this brand right here, oh yes, yeah. So Korea needs to work on their marketing, but you know it is what it is anyway.
Speaker 2:So this brand, right here it is in DC area right now. Okay, they haven't made it their way to the west side of the country, west coast, but we're, you know we, hopefully I will be part of the team to roll it out to the side of the country, so they might be making a stop in Gilbert, arizona, correct? I've been told in a couple weeks the head of this company might be visiting my shop. Okay, because he's interested in my cocktails as well.
Speaker 1:That's cool, so you'll have everything that you'll need in order to really roll this out.
Speaker 2:Correct. At the end of the day, I just need the license.
Speaker 3:I was going to ask you what are the hurdles involved in getting there? It's not that bad.
Speaker 2:I looked into it. Yes, the initial. It is expensive, there's cost, but after that the repeat of renewing your license is not too bad. It's the initial, it's the initial and the education. At the end of the day, I have to make sure you're 21 and above right, just the stuff like that I can.
Speaker 2:I mean it's dangerous, right, if someone were to, if I were to, over pour their drink and then it becomes my liability. Okay, so, getting back to you know, kid safe place you, you know it's a kid environment. I'm not asking for customers to get bombed, it's just a drink or two, right, parents can have their beverage and kids could have their dessert, right? How many times can you say you went to an ice cream shop where adults had their fix and then kids had theirs? So I'm, like I said, I'm trying to bring families together. That's my whole initiative about frost tales is, uh, trying to bring everybody together.
Speaker 1:So so cool. That's an awesome concept. It is. That's great. So other challenges you've run into, one maybe being the obvious I know we already kind of talked a little bit about this but being a minority in business in Gilbert Arizona, how's that experience gone for you so far?
Speaker 2:Well, anyone that knows, gilbert is very white. I think I can say that because I grew up in America. You can say that it is hard right At the end of the day.
Speaker 1:It's a little challenging with the yeah just getting an opportunity.
Speaker 2:Look at sushi restaurants. That are the big sushi restaurants. They're not generally owned by Asians. The little hole in the wall are owned by Asians, but if you want to be in a flashy shopping center, it's not owned by an Asian. Also, being a minority, I will always be a minority. I don't care if I was born here. That's one thing I started to learn too as I got older. No matter what my citizenship says, I will always be Asian, korean. That'll follow me all along. On a sad note, I still get made fun of in my shop being Korean or Asian. The other day I had someone ask me I don't want Korean coffee. Can I get American coffee?
Speaker 2:In your shop In my shop. Yes, this was a grown man.
Speaker 3:How did you respond?
Speaker 2:to this. Normally I have a pretty good comeback, but I was not expecting that, because there's no American coffee. Yeah.
Speaker 1:That's good, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:America does not grow coffee beans? And then when, I just gave him the blank space he just looks at me and goes. I'm not racist and I'm like you. Literally just said you were racist.
Speaker 3:You did.
Speaker 2:The fact that he doesn't want Korean coffee.
Speaker 1:I would love to try Korean coffee I don't know about you Coffee of any kind.
Speaker 3:But that's being a minority, it's just ignorant and that's fine.
Speaker 1:So, anybody else that's listening to this show right now? That might be a minority. What advice could you give them?
Speaker 2:On those hurdles, don't let it get to you. Okay, what advice could you give them on those?
Speaker 1:hurdles yeah.
Speaker 2:Don't let it get to you.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Right Like how do you?
Speaker 1:you know what have you done to push through it, how? How do you just roll?
Speaker 2:with it. You have to right. I, uh, there's another tenant in my shopping complex. He's a minority as well, and so we're become really good friends in the shopping center. He comes by all the time and we talk about it. I go, look, I flip it the other way. The fact that we're minorities and able to have a business in Gilbert and a new shopping center, that's a win, right, you look a lot of minorities.
Speaker 2:Where are they at Mesa, a lot of dingy, old shopping center, nothing flashy, nothing wrong with it. But as a business owner you want to be in the cool hip spot right Downtown Gilbert, right Verde, cooley Station area, santan Mall.
Speaker 3:Yeah, when you said Cooley Station, one of the first thoughts in my mind was oh, that's really cool.
Speaker 1:It is really cool.
Speaker 2:And so to be a minority, we're a win, regardless if my business goes out of business in a couple of years or it flourishes the fact that I was able to open up a shop, and same with him the fact that he was able to open up a shop, and it's a win for us. So you just have to keep plugging away, and it's hard. A lot of people that know me think it's easy and I make it look easy, but it's not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you do to a certain extent, just cause I've known you for so long. I think you you do cause you let it kind of, let things roll off your back pretty easily, but certain things will bother you, correct?
Speaker 2:And a lot of things do bother me Right.
Speaker 3:Well, you're human yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so do bother me.
Speaker 1:Well, you're human, but I could see how maybe even some of your peers have said like oh, Albert, you make it look so simple, you make it look like anybody could do it. And I do, because if you make it look like it's hard you have kind of a poker face, not today, not during this show, but generally speaking I would say that you do kind of carry a poker face, and I think that probably bodes well when you're in business.
Speaker 2:To some extent, you have to To not let them see everything on your sleeve, because when you see that from, say, an investor standpoint or your landlord, then that kind of turns it the wrong way.
Speaker 3:That gives them a bad vibe.
Speaker 2:So you have to act like you've been there before, and my thing is always act like you're a big company, but you're a small company. So even the bankers that I deal with, they're the big banks, nothing wrong with.
Speaker 1:So where did you get that from?
Speaker 2:Just always act big.
Speaker 1:Act like you've been there before. Did your parents teach that? Or was that grandparents, I think? Just being turned down. So much Okay, just the adversity of Correct Rejection, yeah.
Speaker 2:So that's what I that's one of the biggest advices I give is always act like you own a big company. I mean, don't be obnoxious, yeah yeah, but feel like you can roll with the big companies, right, companies in Korea. We're talking these top five companies in Korea. They're huge. And then the fact that I'm able to talk to them. Right, I mean, that's a win.
Speaker 3:You know what I did I just picked up the phone.
Speaker 2:Hey, I'm trying to do this. What do you think? Sure, let's give it a shot. But people are scared. I don't want to work with this bank. They're going to turn me down. My biggest banker, my biggest bank that lent me money to expand my dry clean business, was Chase Bank, and I went through over 30 banks.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 2:Credit unions Wait before you got to Chase and got to financing, because I always thought, oh, chase is too big, they don't want to lend me money. So I've done Comerica.
Speaker 1:But are, but are they more? You know, like was was Chase more, I don't know more open.
Speaker 2:I think, well, take it back a little bit. So it's about your banker as well. Your banker is more important, but my story is don't be afraid of the big bank. I was afraid of the big bank. Okay, cause you hear, oh, they only want to work with $100 million accounts. They want to work with all the big boys, right?
Speaker 3:It just takes the right person to see the potential yeah, and want to Correct, regardless of the bank that they're at.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that would be the better explanation, but also it's the fact that everybody wants to knock down the big banks, right, wells Fargo, jpm, jp Morgan, chase and Bank of America. I bank at Chase and Bank of America, just kind of sticking up for them. Well, they're being good to you, you should.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And they have been. So there's always a good story to even these bigger banks. Everyone thinks the big banks are big and mighty and trying to take everything, but it just shows there's a good story that they've been there for me at the hardest times.
Speaker 3:That's great advice. So small business today. Where do you see yourself in five years? Do you see yourself in multiple locations? Where do we go from here?
Speaker 2:So, getting back to why I wanted to get into Frostails dry cleaning business, I can only go so big. It's very personal. We're talking. I'm dealing with people's precious clothes, especially my clientele. We have customers that drop off $5,000 suit jackets Not a two-piece suit, just one single jacket. You mess that up. There goes a ton of money so I can't grow that. I can't have just employees rely on that. So I wanted to start a business that I can grow Never franchise it, but grow it out. So that's why frost sales was a thing and my ambitious plan is hopefully you know five years or 10 years how long it takes. It'd be nice to have multiple locations make a drive-through out of it. That would be cool, right? I?
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:I mean, besides Panda, not too many Asian-owned drive-thru businesses. You know, everything is yeah, it's true, Mom and pop, you got to walk in right, but American stuff, it's all drive-thru.
Speaker 3:Especially in Arizona everything's drive-thru.
Speaker 2:Right, you want a sandwich Drive-thru through. I'm surprised Subway doesn't have a drive through. Panera Bread has a drive through.
Speaker 3:It's everything that's right. Even Panera does.
Speaker 2:So that's where my mindset is. I always look at what the big companies are doing, so getting back to act like you're a big company, they did all the research. I don't need to go pay someone to do some R&D Just mimic it. So if you walk into my shop it looks like a Starbucks with a Chipotle menu. So I yes, there's some creativity to it, but I just look at what they do, what works. Chipotle does well, in-n-out does well, starbucks does well. All those companies they do well for a reason.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean you want to have your own unique flavor, but why try to recreate the entire?
Speaker 2:wheel. Exactly, yeah, that takes too much effort, just kind of massage it to how you want to do it. For me it was to do 100% Korean ingredients. So the snow powders and the sauces and syrups, those I import directly myself. I literally handle all the logistics.
Speaker 1:Well, even the machines too. Right, your snow machines are all from Korea. Yeah, I mean, it's a legitimate experience and everybody needs to check it out. Key takeaways from this conversation. What do you think I'm going to say? Don't give up on your idea. I mean, if you started having your idea and plans in place for this concept back in 2007, and then it's just now coming to fruition, or in the last two years, what a great message.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just be patient. That's my biggest thing is be patient and have money. It sounds horrible, but even in my shopping center I've seen tenants get evicted because they didn't have money for construction. Oh my gosh Right, it takes a lot of money. I've been very fortunate my dry cleaners. I could say now I was netting over a quarter million dollars a year out of one location Netting.
Speaker 3:Yeah, netting, not grossing, not grossing yeah, that's a lot of money.
Speaker 2:So grossing that's a lot of money, so I took that. That's how I was able to enjoy my lifestyle. And I still do so, then I sold my business.
Speaker 1:Well, you had several properties going as well.
Speaker 2:Well that's my side, that's my retirement fund. So, yeah, I mean I set myself up well. So this business. Luckily I haven't had to tap into my savings or my reserves or my line of credit.
Speaker 1:nothing, literally been revolving, it's just cash flowing, correct.
Speaker 2:Even if it's at if I'm doing well, if I don't have to borrow money. But every business that I know is borrowing money from their parents or their grandparents don't? It's hard when you do it that way.
Speaker 1:If you can't make it with your own money and cash flow.
Speaker 2:Even if it's a franchise, a proven model and I've seen this time and time I'm against franchises. They suck the heck out of you Because they take a fee and then they take a fee off your gross, so you're losing money, and then they want you to grow out three businesses at one or three locations, so you got to have money. Like I said, it sounds terrible, but that is your ultimate thing.
Speaker 3:Well, and that's part of being patient, right, it's not just the learning experiences up until you finally feel like you're ready and you've got the plan in place, but you've been saving intentionally all the way along and you're ready to go.
Speaker 2:You've got the capital base to weather the startup and then also, you don't have to roll everything out at once, phase it out. So, okay, this month I made a little money, so I'll reinvest it, reinvest it again, reinvest it again. So if you were to see my even my Instagram profile for my business, if you were to look at it from the beginning to now, I've gotten better, my menu's gotten bigger, but I've had all the ingredients there. I just didn't provide it out. And what I've been telling customers too is now oh, you have more items? Well, yes, I've always had it, but I wasn't proud of it. At the end of the day, you're paying me to make you something, so it should be the best, but a lot of businesses or concepts don't get that. They're paying you to cook you food and generally they're just like, oh, whatever, I'm not into that. You're paying me to make your coffee. You're paying me to make your dessert. It better be the best. That's so great and so people appreciate that.
Speaker 2:And that's my message on that is if you're getting into business, if you're a plumber or mortgage broker or whatever, make sure you're doing the best, because it doesn't matter if you're a plumber or a Frost Hills owner or whatever. If you're the best of the best, you're going to make money. So just be the best and use the best. Everything so same with me, ingredients, my personality, even my employees. I show them just be the best you can be and people will see that.
Speaker 3:Then you'll be fine, that's awesome, that's so great. Well, albert, thank you so much for taking some time to spend with us. Tell our listeners again where Frost Tales is.
Speaker 2:Okay, so Frost Tales is on the southwest corner of Williamsfield and Wrecker Road. It's on the Cooley Shopping Center. You can just Google Frost Tales F-R-O-S-T-A-I-L-S. We're all over Google, yelp, whatever it's retrending Instagram at Frostails Correct. You can just Google it, we'll pop right up. Nothing else will pop up with that name. You can't miss it. Yes, I'm on TikTok too, that's awesome.
Speaker 3:We're all over social media. We'll have all of your links down in the description for the video so that everybody knows how to reach you and follow you. Thanks again for being an awesome guest and telling us your story, how you got to where you are.
Speaker 2:I appreciate this. As I mentioned before, probably five years ago I didn't really consider myself an entrepreneur, but as people such as yourself.
Speaker 1:I did not oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:Okay, because to me it was just another business. Dry cleaning is dry cleaning. Another bingsu business is bingsu business. I started to realize people such as yourself, my customers and other entrepreneurs like no, you're an entrepreneur, you're building something from scratch, you're in your frost tails, you did all the architect work.
Speaker 1:You did all the construction you did everything and what you don't see and I think Brian and I can relate to this what we don't see is all the people that are looking up to you because of what you've done, what you've accomplished, and now you've got the ability to speak into their lives like from experience, and that's really, really why we were so excited to have you on the show today. So, albert, thank you again. Yeah, you've been an awesome guest. Thank you, guys.
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