Path to Power Kobe Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse

Path to Power: Chau Nguyen

President at Kobe Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse

In 1984 Chau and his father, Doi Tan Nguyen, left Montreal, Canada. They came to Altamonte Springs and launched Kobe, Florida’s Premier Japanese steakhouse. Nguyen had big ideas for his restaurant concept in the Orlando market. He wanted to deliver a unique dining experience that would offer an exciting and vibrant environment for guests to gather and celebrate over delicious food and drinks.

In 1996, with the passing of his father and joined by his sister and uncle, Chau Nguyen took over the company and remains the principal owner of the Florida native brand. Over the years, Kobe has grown to become a family business that includes his children, nieces and numerous dedicated employees that have been with the company through the decades.

Kobe is known for offering its guests a unique teppanyaki dining experience and doing so with its very own blend of fun and flair at its 12 Central Florida locations spanning from Orlando to Tampa. The Kobe team strives to continue to deliver the best Japanese steakhouse dining experience to all local guests and those from all around the world.

Kobe, is an award-winning concept with awards from Orlando Magazine, the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida Foodie Awards, Best Bets and Best of Orlando Awards. Q: How did you get started in the hospitality industry? After graduating college and earning my Master of Business Administration and Certified Public Accountant Certifications, I went to work for a large telecommunications company in Canada. After several years of working there, I was seeking a more entrepreneurial opportunity. My family and I used to vacation in Orlando and loved the sunshine. My father decided to move from Montreal to Orlando in the 1980s to start the first Kobe Japanese Steakhouse in Altamonte Springs, Florida. I joined him and now we have 12 locations, 38 years later.

Q: What were the most valuable lessons that you learned early in your career? You cannot be good at everything, even if you work hard. You need to specialize and focus on your strengths.

Q: Do you have any mentors who were instrumental in helping you achieve your goals? My parents.

Q: Are you taking any special measures, in the face of the labor shortage in the hospitality industry, to recruit and retain talent? I looked within our company for ways to make Kobe a better place to work. We focused on our company culture and doubled-down on employee referrals. I want my employees to be our biggest fans and recruiters. We are fortunate that we were able to navigate the pandemic successfully and come out financially ahead. So, we increased wages, improved our benefits and continue to look for ways to make Kobe a better employer.

Q: What is the single most significant factor in the success of your career? Perseverance to succeed. Opening a restaurant has many challenges, and to keep it growing after 38 years took a lot of perseverance to never give up.

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