In this episode, Alan talks with Edouard Benitah, co-founder of Pari Pari, a hand roll bar in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. Originally from Paris, Edouard came to the U.S. in 2015, working his way up through the restaurant industry in New York and Los Angeles. He fell in love with the streamlined, high-impact concept of a dedicated hand roll bar after experiencing Kazunori in LA: minimal staff, efficient operations, and a focus on quality.When he moved to Miami during the pandemic, he was surprised there were no hand roll bars in the city. Alongside co-founders Hugo and Ben, and Michelin-starred chef Yasu Tanaka, he began building the concept from scratch. The journey has been three years in the making, with over 54 inspections, complex permitting, and nearly $1M raised, but the payoff is a proof-of-concept flagship designed to scale to multiple Miami locations.We cover:Why Miami was the perfect launch city despite massive permitting challengesHow partnering with a Michelin-starred chef elevated the conceptThe three co-founders’ clearly defined roles: development, branding, operationsCreating a brand experience that blends Japanese culinary tradition with French designHow to time your PR and Instagram launch for maximum impactLessons from working in New York, LA, and Miami’s different dining culturesScaling plans and what it takes to protect brand integrity across multiple locationsWhether you’re opening your first hospitality concept or scaling a brand in a competitive market, this episode is packed with insights on branding, operations, and the patience required to survive the buildout phase.Resources & Links Pari Pari: https://www.instagram.com/paripari_miami/ Follow Edouard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edouard-benitah-502296a8/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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