How One Bold Move Turned These Restaurateurs’ Biggest Nightmare Into Their Biggest Win—And What You Can Steal From It Today

When Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong opened Fish Cheeks in New York City in 2015, their aim was to showcase seafood-forward Thai cuisine — dishes they loved from home but rarely saw in New York.

“There were a lot of Thai restaurants with the same kind of menu… noodles, fried rice, curry. Not so much about seafood. So we were like, okay, that’s a huge void right there that we can definitely fill,” Saesue says.

Perfecting the concept meant constant trial and error. “A lot of talking, a lot of eating, a lot of tasting, a lot of going shopping,” Suansilphong says. “The ingredients we have here [are] not the same as in Thailand. What tastes the same? What tastes better?”

Related: She Started a Business That Broke the Mold for NYC Cafés — And Grew It Into a Multi-City Brand

Personal preferences aside, dishes have to resonate with customers at the end of the day. Balancing authenticity with customer taste wasn’t easy, but this skill helped the 55 Hospitality team become successful and expand the brand.

As the business grew, the founders realized they couldn’t do it all. They’d have to hire experts who could take charge of everyday tasks while they oversaw the big picture. “I’d rather put people in place who can excel in that one area, and I can focus on other things for them,” Saesue says.

Bringing in culinary talent, for example, allowed them to pursue expansion and new ideas, like opening Bangkok Supper Club with Iron Chef Thailand‘s Max Wittawat.

Delegating also enabled them to face their most ambitious challenge yet: Bub’s Bakery, inspired by Saesue’s search for baked goods her husband could enjoy despite multiple allergies.

“Trying to find any sort of pastries, baked goods, cake, birthday cakes for my husband [is] impossible,” Saesue says. “Because it’s either vegan or it’s either gluten-free or it’s either dairy-free or it’s nut-free. It’s only one thing or maybe two things. It’s never all of the things across the board.”

Their mission to create pastries free of soy, nuts, eggs, gluten and dairy became a two-year research and development journey, with partners like James Beard Award-nominated baker Melissa Weller, whose chemical engineering expertise proved invaluable.

Related: They Built Their First Restaurant With Their ‘Bare Hands.’ Now They Have 380 Locations.

To put their creations to the ultimate test, Bub’s Bakery launched as a pop-up shop at a New York City elementary school, with many students coming back for seconds.

No matter their audience, Saesue and Suansilphong treat customer reviews — and criticism — as guidance.

“You can fight it, be annoyed, but at the end of the day, it is a tool,” Saesue says, sharing that customer feedback prompted Fish Cheek’s recent menu change.

“Once we put the dinner menu on the lunch [menu], people just ordered the same thing,” Suansilphong says. “I was like, Wow, this works for me!“

As the brand expands and roles change, reviews also help the founders keep tabs on the details, such as food quality and staff morale.

“There’s always gonna be human error,” Saesue says. “My line cook may not be having a great day today, and somehow the dish that he produced is a little bit off and is not exactly how it should be. So we have to take everything in as constructive criticism. If it’s not [constructive], we can spot that too and tell the team, ‘Don’t worry about that one.’”

Proactive employee engagement and support have also been key to 55 Hospitality’s success.

Related: He Grew His Small Business to a $25 Million Operation By Following These 5 Principles

With the launch of Bub’s Bakery, 55 Hospitality’s founders prove that finding your niche, trusting your team and genuinely listening to feedback can turn even the biggest business challenges into success stories.

Key lessons include:

• Hire for strengths, not similarity: Saesue and Suansilphong moved faster once they found chefs, managers and partners who excelled in areas where they weren’t experts.
• Act on feedback (when necessary): When repeated reviews highlight an issue or a pattern, check in with your team or decide if changes should be implemented to improve the customer experience.
• Don’t fear “impossible” problems: The quest for allergen-free baked goods required years of development and the right talent, but unlocked an entirely underserved market. Surmounting obstacles can lead to career-defining moments.
• Support your team as you grow: Ongoing check-ins and proactive engagement can help maintain trust and performance across management and employees as the business grows.
• Stay true to your “why”: Every new business concept from 55 Hospitality started by identifying a customer or community need, anchoring innovation in purpose. Sharing your mission and supporting it relentlessly can help define you in a crowded industry.

Watch the episode above to hear directly from Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Wednesday.

Editorial contributions by Kristi Lindahl and Emily Moon

This article is part of our ongoing America’s Favorite Mom & Pop Shops® series highlighting family-owned and operated businesses.

When Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong opened Fish Cheeks in New York City in 2015, their aim was to showcase seafood-forward Thai cuisine — dishes they loved from home but rarely saw in New York.

“There were a lot of Thai restaurants with the same kind of menu… noodles, fried rice, curry. Not so much about seafood. So we were like, okay, that’s a huge void right there that we can definitely fill,” Saesue says.

Perfecting the concept meant constant trial and error. “A lot of talking, a lot of eating, a lot of tasting, a lot of going shopping,” Suansilphong says. “The ingredients we have here [are] not the same as in Thailand. What tastes the same? What tastes better?”