Arnold Byun is the co-founder of Maum Market and Store. After nearly a decade managing some of New York’s most acclaimed restaurants including Eleven Madison Park, Bouley, and Atomix, he found himself jobless during the pandemic, sitting in Los Angeles with no plan, no network, and plenty of time to think. What started as a $1,000 experiment with 10 folding tables and 22 Korean American friends selling ceramics, art, and baked goods would soon become MAUM, a growing platform for Asian-owned brands that now spans 70+ markets and three retail stores across New York, San Francisco, and Orange County.Arnold and his co-founder, Kioh Park, built MAUM as a modern hospitality company disguised as a market, one that curates not just products, but people and stories. They run every event themselves, hauling U-Hauls, setting up booths, and designing immersive, community-driven experiences that consistently draw thousands. Today, MAUM operates on a mix of consignment, pop-ups, and percentage-rent retail deals, rethinking what it means to grow a profitable, mission-driven brand without outside capital.In this episode, we unpack how Arnold turned a pandemic layoff into a thriving cultural business, why MAUM’s first 30-day pop-up did $80K in sales with no price tags, and what he’s learned running 70+ markets while raising a family. We also dive into how he negotiates landlord deals most brands can’t, why he believes e-commerce isn’t worth chasing, and what’s next as MAUM becomes a bridge for Asian brands entering the U.S.We cover:How a pandemic layoff sparked MAUM’s $1,000 origin storyLessons from managing Eleven Madison Park and AtomixWhy consignment and pop-ups beat traditional retail leasesTurning cultural storytelling into a business advantageNegotiating percentage-rent and semi-permanent store dealsRunning 70+ markets and working with 2,000+ Asian-owned brandsThe realities (and grind) behind “community-based” entrepreneurshipWhy Arnold says he wouldn’t do it again, but wouldn’t change a thingThe future of MAUM as a bridge for Asian → U.S. brand expansionIf you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a community-driven retail brand from scratch, this episode is for you.Resources & Links MAUM Website: https://maum.market MAUM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maum.market MAUM Store Website: https://maum.store Arnold Byun LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnoldbyun/Sponsored by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign and furniture shop for retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources→ Signs and furniture for retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

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