Meet Tien Le | Sushi Hai Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tien Le and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tien, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My ethnicity is Vietnamese and I grew up watching my parents embrace the culture and open their own restaurant to share their cuisine and meals that I grew up with to the community. Although English is not their native language, they worked hard to turn their dreams into success and inspired me to do the same. Since I grew up helping my parents work in their restaurant, the industry became natural to me and my boss which is now a partner, saw potential in me and gave me the opportunity to expand the business with him which led me to where I am now.

What should our readers know about your business?
I worked at Sushi Hai as a server for 8 years, the boss always asked me why I don’t become a manager since I cared for the business as if it was my own. I think caring for the business came naturally to me because I grew up helping my parents restaurant as well. I finally gathered the courage to become a manager in the last couple years, knowing that this will prepare me someday to open my own restaurant. I shared these thoughts with my boss and told him when I save up enough, one day I plan to leave Sushi Hai so I can open my own. That’s when he offered me to partner with him at Sushi Hai and this opportunity changed my life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely take them to my restaurant! Sushi Hai is a 3 story restaurant with traditional Japanese seatings and we also have events such as Comedy Show, Sushi and Painting and monthly beer pong events. After enjoying delicious sushi, I would take my guests to somewhere relaxing such as the hot springs or go sight seeing or hiking since Colorado is known for the beautiful scenery and nature. I am also a foodie so I would take them to restaurants that are known for delicious food or unique restaurants that have a secret menu or authenticity.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my family, the way they raised me and what they taught me in life has made me a hard working person and passionate to any obstacles or positions I face in life. My parents have always been my strongest support and I will forever be grateful for the sacrifices and hard work they put towards taking care of my siblings and I. I also want to thank my mentor; Enci, who saw potential in me and gave me the opportunity to run his business and it felt amazing to have someone fully trust me and believe that I can do so much for myself and for him. Lastly, I want to thank my husband who decided to change career paths and pursue this business opportunity with me. He knew the risks but he still had faith in us that we would achieve success.

Website: sushihai.com

Instagram: Sushihaidenver

Facebook: Facebook.com/sushihai