Today we’d like to introduce you to Han Tran.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a Vietnamese American, arriving here in San Diego in 1980 with my parents as refugees from Vietnam. We were what they called “boat people” who fled by boat to find a new life in America. I love this beautiful city of San Diego that I’ve called home, and have lived here ever since.
I watched my parents establish and run their Vietnamese restaurant here in the neighborhood of City Heights for almost three decades. I grew up in City Heights within the Viet community there and went to school in Point Loma.
I’m a graduate of UCSD, with a BA degree in communications. In 2003, at the age of 25, my then boyfriend (who is now my husband of 12 years) and I bought our first business in Hillcrest which would become Ebisu Sushi.
We still currently run it, 15 years later. My husband, Jay, also comes from a restaurant family background. Serendipitously, we actually had our first dinner date at this very spot, and merely a year later the owners (of about 20 years) offered us the opportunity to take it over when they wanted to retire.
We have two wonderful little girls, Kenzie (age eight) and Jaden (age 11), and being their mom is my life’s biggest joy. I essentially became a stay at home mom during their early, most formative years and only worked in the restaurant on weekends then. I loved spending all my time with my girls and watching them grow into these incredible little humans. About three years ago, I was exposed to the new technologies and techniques of permanent cosmetics while on a trip to Asia, and I became very interested.
After my trip, I researched the field in further depth and realized that I really wanted to learn this new craft that speaks to my artistic, creative, meticulous sides. I studied
the craft intensely, trained under many reputable veterans in the field, and opened ArchWork Cosmetic Tattoo in Normal Heights in June of 2017. I thoroughly love the one-on-one nature of cosmetic tattooing and the chance to help my clients enhance their natural beauty. The work I do there is very personal, and I love the connections I’ve made with so many wonderful clients.
Then in September of the same year, my husband and I were offered the opportunity to start a new restaurant in North Park with close family partners. Having had a modern Vietnamese concept in mind for many years that we didn’t think would ever see the light of day, we took the leap. This would evolve to become Shank & Bone, a modern Vietnamese restaurant that opened a year ago in February of 2018, right in the heart of North Park, and it has become another labor of love.
My days have been very busy this past year, especially since we’ve opened Shank & Bone. I’m a general manager there, handling most of the front of house details. I do cosmetic tattooing (brows are my jam) during the day by appointment at ArchWork. And I still handle events and front of house staffing for Ebisu Sushi. All the while, of course, still making time for my girls and being the best mom that I can be for them.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Restaurants are never a smooth road. Ebisu Sushi was formerly Hillcrest Sushi, and had been for 20 years prior to us taking over. Building up a dying business proved to be a slow, daunting process. But we built our reputation one diner, one table, one day at a time with focus on quality products and good service. We’ve always had a great staff family that I’m proud to still be very much connected to so many years later. They play a huge role in why we’ve been able to sustain all these years.
At Shank & Bone, we opened up to a lot of fanfare being so visible and bringing a new concept to the area. The pressure to succeed is always the most weighty, and figuring out how to establish and run our brand new restaurant fluidly was extremely challenging.
Trying to find the balance between family and work is the most challenging of all. I miss my girls all the time and losing so much of the free time that we used to enjoy has been the hardest part for me, personally, but I know this is just a phase of starting new businesses. However, knowing that they can see their parents building something from scratch, and how much they can learn from our journeys helps to fuel and inspire us as well.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To me, success is more of a process than a destination. For me, success is the ability to do what you love, with people you love. It’s seeing an idea come to fruition. Success is seeing a dream, a vision, become an actual space with doors you can walk through. It’s arriving to work and being able to genuinely laugh with the people who work alongside you, and care about them and their lives. To be able to connect deeply with the people who walk through your doors and hear their stories while being able to share yours.
Success is seeing your children watch you create, build, break, rebuild, and make it work. Seeing them proud and inspired by you is worth every struggle.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shankandbone.com; www.archworkcosmetictattoo.com; www.ebisusushisd.com
- Instagram: @shankandbone; @archworksd; @ebisusushi
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