Young Lee is not Chinese and he does not live or work in Shanghai, China, and these things may sound on the surface like reasons why he should not be named AboutShanghai's Community Activist of the Year. But it's because of these non-qualifications that readers should recognize all that much more why his selection is such a testament to his character and business savvy.
Mr. Lee is a Korean immigrant to the United States. He came to Atlanta at a time when the city was struggling, and rather than lay wasting on the welfare rolls (at a time when it was easy to do so, I might add) he went out and struck up his own laundry business.
As anyone who's ever worked that industry will immediately tell you, the hours are long, the profit margin is minimal, and the work is unpleasant, to put it mildly.
Within a few years he'd made a name for himself, and this was the time when he learned the most about business. He'd come from a nation where the entrepreneurial spirit was not embraced, as it is in America. He had no idea what he was doing, how he should do it, or what might make him successful. What he had was a vision and the ability to listen to his customers.
It was at this point that he "started listening to my customers and what they wanted… I soon learned that if I could deliver the same service as my competitors but with better service and at a better price, nothing could stop me."
Mr. Lee has since gone on to own many businesses from clothing manufacturing to restaurants in the Atlanta area, each time bringing with him that same dedication to offering a similar product with better service and better pricing. It's not hard to imagine; he's been successful, and today he has the ability to chase after his dreams.
He owns a fair amount of property and has skilled property managers who help him oversee it all. As such, he now gets to take part in the community like never before. His latest project is a Brazilian Steakhouse off Buford Highway. He invested almost $2 million into building the place, but more than that, he invested himself.
"Everything you see here, I designed and built," he explains. And he does mean everything. From the authentic Brazilian cherry wood finishes, many in elegantly rounded forms, to the 30-foot spiral waterfall that greets you as you walk in the door. If he didn't build it himself, with his own two hands, he designed it and oversaw the production personally.
The result is a restaurant that is plainly a labor of more love than profit could ever return, but it's what he does, and the way he does it. I asked him if he would ever retire, and his wife just laughed. "We'd like to not work on weekends," she said.
"I don't think this is work," Mr. Lee explained. "The customers are my friends. When there's nothing to do in the kitchen, I come out and talk to people… When I see people leave full and satisfied, that is when I have done my job."
With a 10,000 square foot restaurant, every inch of it decked to the rafters, it's hard to imagine what could possess an entrepreneur to do it, short of a love for his community and an appreciation for the people he so graciously serves. From the food to the architecture to the Brazilian beer to the widest selection of Chilean and Bolivian wines in the American south, he's truly pulled out all the stops. You could throw the grandest bash for an anniversary, wedding reception or company party, or you could just go satisfy yourself. They are open for either, and either way, you're going to walk out happy.
So despite the many nominees, and in heavy consideration of the many booming businesses here in Shanghai, the AboutShanghai.com Community Activist of the Year award goes to a humble but passionate steakhouse in Atlanta. And for my money, the Red and Green Steakhouse is the best money you could possibly hope to spend on dinner tonight.
