An Interview With Martita Mestey
How hard it would be! No one warned me about the difficulties and challenges I would face trying to grow in this industry, and it’s been a wild ride so far. This is such a dynamic business that continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and it’s challenging to manage everything while trying to stay true to the most basic aspect of this business which will never change — serving delicious food while treating team members and guests with the utmost respect.
As a part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restaurateur”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Steve Choi.
Steve Choi, CEO of Health Nut, transformed a modest vitamin shop in 1988 into a beloved Southern California restaurant chain known for its fresh, healthy offerings. Under his leadership, Health Nut has grown strategically, with high-profile expansions and notable partnerships, including Kris Jenner as its first investor. Choi’s journey from small business owner to successful restaurateur offers invaluable insights on brand building, innovation, and sustaining customer loyalty.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to ‘get to know’ you a bit. Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restaurateur?
My parents were first generation Korean immigrants who came here with a dream of owning a small business. I grew up watching them work hard in this little vitamin store/restaurant for 20 years, and seeing this small business grow into something much bigger. It became apparent in 2015 that the business growth required more than just what my parents were able to manage on their own, so that’s when I decided to join the team full-time and continue growing this business into what it is today. Even though I grew up in this business, I never expected to become a restaurateur, but God has an interesting way of guiding us in ways we don’t expect.
Do you have a specific type of food that you focus on? What was it that first drew you to cooking that type of food? Can you share a story about that with us?
Our food is focused on both tasting good and being good for you! My mother Shirley was obsessed with using fresh and clean ingredients to make food that was not only healthy, but also tasted good enough to come back for over and over again. I remember as a child eating sprouts in my sandwiches, and not loving it very much, but as an adult, I’ve grown a true appreciation for the way my mom combines freshness, quality, taste and health into the menu we know today.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you became a restaurateur? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
The most interesting story is also probably the most impactful. It is when the Kardashian sisters decided to let the world know where they got their salads from and tweeted about Health Nut back in 2015. That moment marked the beginning of this tremendous growth journey we’ve been on, and we still feel the effects of it to this day. The lesson for me was that a blessing like this simply fell into our lap, so I never take it for granted, and I always thank God for the opportunity that was given to our family to glorify Him through the growth of this business.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? How did you overcome this obstacle?
Dealing with COVID a few years after I joined Health Nut full time was one of the toughest challenges I’ve faced. To see such sharp sales declines overnight was something I never experienced before, and I wasn’t sure how to manage it or what to expect going forward. We quickly pivoted our operations to focus on take-out, which was easier for us given our menu items carried out well for the most part. It was a blessing that we could do this so quickly, and by God’s grace we were able to weather that storm after many long months — many other restaurants were not as fortunate.
In your experience, what is the key to creating a dish that customers are crazy about?
As a health concept, it has to be something that tastes good but will leave you feeling light enough afterwards where you wouldn’t mind, and actually want, to enjoy having it every day.
Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal for you’?
Aside from Health Nut’s Noodlerama with avocado with a Mango Iced Greentini, I love a good juicy burger with all the fixings.
Where does your inspiration for creating come from? Is there something that you turn to for a daily creativity boost?
I can’t take credit for creating anything since all of this came from my mother.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?
Yes! I’m excited to announce that we just recently launched a national retail dressing campaign, with our dressings now in stores all over the country, including Walmart, Target, Bristol Farms, Gelsons, Stater Bros, and many more! For decades, our local fan base was able to enjoy these delicious, homemade dressings in our restaurants, but now everyone everywhere is able to experience Health Nut for themselves! I hope that people all over the country will find it easy and enjoyable to eat healthy, even if it’s something they’re not used to. At the same time, we also just opened two new restaurant locations in Culver City and Santa Monica, CA, so we’ve certainly been keeping busy!
What advice would you give to other restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout?
Have a healthy balance in your life. Faith, family, leisure, work, should all be in their proper place in order for you to have longevity in this industry.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started as a Restaurateur” and why?
- How hard it would be! No one warned me about the difficulties and challenges I would face trying to grow in this industry, and it’s been a wild ride so far. This is such a dynamic business that continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and it’s challenging to manage everything while trying to stay true to the most basic aspect of this business which will never change — serving delicious food while treating team members and guests with the utmost respect.
- Expect the unexpected. Whether it’s COVID, delays in construction and permitting, increased costs, evolution of technology, or the ever-changing weather, there will be things we can never anticipate or be prepared for. So be nimble in your thinking, always have backup plans, and be ready for anything!
- How quickly the industry would change. I never expected this industry to take so many turns within such a short period of time. From COVID quickly changing customer’s ordering habits, to technology advancing in the areas of order fulfillment, inventory management, scheduling, etc,, you need to be prepared for anything. I’m always studying and adapting in order to make sure we’re serving our customers in the way they want and expect, and in the best way possible for the business.
- Growth isn’t linear. When things are going well, you feel like it’ll just keep going. However, this business is too variable to see things in a linear fashion, so you need to be ready for bumps in the road, delays, cost overruns, etc. in various seasons as growth continues for the long run
- I would meet so many great people. I have been fortunate enough to meet some fantastic people on this journey, from very successful industry executives, to honest and dedicated vendors, and of course our own staff members, some of whom have been with us for over a decade and continue to put their heart and soul into this business. I am forever grateful!
What’s the one dish people have to try if they visit your establishment?
The Noodlerama with avocado and with our refreshing Mango Iced Greentini!
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
If you’ve been reading up to this point, you’ll notice I mention God quite a bit…and there’s a reason for that. My faith in Jesus Christ is the most important part of who I am, and as a Christian I believe the most amount of good to the most amount of people will come from having a proper knowledge of who God is, and what He has done for humanity through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. I wouldn’t say I am a person of enormous influence, but with whatever influence I may have, my prayer is that people’s hearts will turn to the Lord and that God will transform this society for the better.
Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!
Steve Choi Of Health Nut: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Restaurateur was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.