Built by an operator.
For operators.

Restaurant operator turned advisor. 16 years running multi-unit operations. Now taking a small number of engagements at a time.

KL

Ki Yong Lee

Founder & Principal Operator

I've spent 16+ years inside restaurants, from line cook to Director of Operations across $54M+ in managed P&L. I've opened concepts, turned around struggling operations, scaled multi-unit groups, and managed franchise systems across multiple states.

Where I came up: management roles at BCD Tofu House, Gen Korean Barbecue, and Sake2Me Sushi. High-volume, multi-unit, AYCE and full-service formats. The kind of operations where the math has to work every shift, every day.

Now I take a small number of advisory engagements alongside a full operating role. Most of the work sits in labor, food cost, systems, and multi-unit consistency.

Every engagement starts with the same premise: we're operators talking to operators. The empathy comes from having stood on the same line.

Career Background

Where these systems were
built and tested.

Real operations. Real complexity. Real results. The methodology MRWP delivers came from decades of doing the work.

Hana Group

Regional Operations Director · Current

Multi-state oversight of franchise sushi kiosk operations across Whole Foods, Walmart, and Sam's Club host environments.

  • 21+ unit franchise portfolio
  • $54M+ annual P&L responsibility
  • Vendor compliance & supply chain across multiple states
  • Regulatory compliance & quality systems

Zareen's Restaurants

Director of Operations · Past

Operations leadership for Michelin-recognized Pakistani/Indian restaurant group. Led food cost transformation and operational standardization.

  • $26M annual budget
  • Multi-location operations
  • Michelin recognition for consistency

5-Unit Fresh Casual Concept

Operations Consulting · Past

Multi-unit fresh casual group, West Coast. Implemented demand-based scheduling and labor optimization across 5 locations.

  • 5-unit fresh casual concept
  • Standardized scheduling across all units

Independent Engagements

Consulting & Advisory

Multiple consulting engagements with independent operators, franchisees, and investor groups across the U.S.

  • Multi-unit franchisee scaling (3 → 7 units)
  • Restaurant turnaround engagements
  • Pre-opening operational design
  • Franchise system optimization
Education & Certifications

Credentials beyond
the kitchen.

Master of Divinity

Korea University

Graduate
BA, Business & Marketing

Yonsei University

Undergraduate
Business Strategy

Harvard Business School Online

Certification
Operations & Strategy

Wharton Online

Certification
ServSafe Manager Certification

National Restaurant Association

Certified
Languages

English (native), Korean (native), Spanish (conversational)

Trilingual

Let's see if we're
a fit.

Reach out to talk about fit.