The Sara(h)s Have Each Other's Backs
The founders of Kismet Restaurant in Los Angeles say it’s the only way to go
Editor’s note: Welcome to the latest installment of So You Want to Open a Restaurant. Each month, Cherry Bombe founder and former restaurateur Kerry Diamond talks to different folks in hospitality about the best practices to copy, and the ones to avoid. Whether you’re thinking about opening a restaurant, cafe, coffee shop, or food-focused pop-up, or you already run a business, this is for you. Thank you to Square for supporting our series.
Plenty of successful restaurants are built by solo founders. But after sitting down recently with Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson of Kismet in Los Angeles for the Radio Cherry Bombe podcast, I was reminded of just how powerful the right partnership can be, and why having someone beside you might be one of the smartest decisions you make on your journey to opening a restaurant.
Annie and Daddy Warbucks know what we’re talking about
For those of you who are already entrepreneurs, you know that starting and running a business can be a lonely endeavor. Even if your operation involves lots of employees and customers, even if you are never alone, even if you have a great network, the process can still be isolating. It’s one of the weird quirks of entrepreneurship that no one warns you about. (At least no one warned me! Consider yourself warned.)
Sara and Sarah have been in business together for more than a decade. Their beloved restaurant, Kismet, one of my absolute faves in L.A., helped define a fresh, vegetable-forward style of California dining when it opened in 2017. Since then, they’ve launched four locations of their Kismet Rotisserie take-out concept, published a cookbook, and become fixtures of the Los Angeles food scene.
The two met years ago as young cooks in New York and decided to move across the country and open a restaurant together in L.A. It was an astounding leap of faith, as they had never lived in the city, barely knew anyone there, and were getting acclaim for their food in NYC. “We were completely different people then,” says Sara. But they believed in each other, something that hasn’t wavered in all the years they’ve known each other.
They eventually made the move to Los Angeles and opened a falafel shop in the city’s Grand Central Market as they laid the groundwork for what would become Kismet.
In the years since, their partnership—and business—has been tested time and time again. Sure, restaurateurs in other markets have had it tough, but in the space of three years, L.A. has had to deal with devastating fires, the entertainment industry strikes, the contraction of Hollywood, the pandemic, and immigration raids. Real-life problems that could derail the strongest of relationships, yet Sara and Sarah have made it through.
Could they imagine doing all of this without each other? “It would be so much harder,” says Sara.
“And scary,” adds Sarah. “I think it’d be much scarier.” (Endearingly, the two often finish each other’s sentences.)
If you’re thinking about opening your own place or starting a business with someone else, here are some of Sara and Sarah’s suggestions of what to look for and what you will ultimately need from each other.
A SHARED WORK ETHIC
One of the many attributes shared by Sara and Sarah is a willingness to put in the time and the labor. “We always show up, work hard, and never give up,” says Sara.
“We’re both very determined,” adds Sarah.
WILLINGNESS TO WORK THROUGH ANY CONFLICT
You will never agree on everything, they counsel. Sarah credits their emotional resilience with getting them through the rough patches. “It doesn’t mean there aren’t times that feel challenging, but we are very good at being like, ‘This is a moment. We’re gonna talk about it,’” she says.
TRUST IS ESSENTIAL
“Over the years, we’ve built a huge foundation of trust,” says Sara. “You don’t have the opportunity to have this depth of trust with a person very often and I’m so grateful for it. It’s taught me a lot in terms of relationships generally.”
DOUBLE VISION?
It helps to see eye to eye on your project, says Sara, but you also need to understand that things will shift and evolve over time, so you need to be flexible. Kismet, for example, started out as an all-day eatery and is now focused on dinner. The Sara(h)s almost opened in a bar in what would become the first Kismet Rotisserie location. (Thank goodness they didn’t. Take-out saved them during the pandemic, they note.)
COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER
SARA: “We are two sides of the same coin.”
SARAH: “We organize differently…”
SARA: “...we arrive at the answers to math problems very differently.”
SARAH: “...and when we work creatively, I start from the small and work out, and you start from big and work in.”
SARA: “It’s a really good balance.”
ROLE MODELS ARE ESSENTIAL
If you can see it, you can be it, as the saying goes, and fortunately for Sara and Sarah, they have amazing examples of successful duos in their city, namely Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, and Chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne. These four award-winning culinary icons have demonstrated so much through their incredible careers, and serve as great examples of what you can achieve as part of a partnership in the restaurant world.
They’re closest to Mary Sue and Susan, trailblazing chefs and food TV pioneers who have been partners for 40 years and who have spoken openly about their challenges. “They’re extremely generous with their time and advice,” says Sara.
“They’ve had their ups and downs, so that’s been really helpful for us to see,” adds Sarah.
If you can’t find an in-person mentor or role model, it’s easier than ever to find virtual mentors. Pick up the debut book Service Ready from James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Molly Irani, or check out the classic Setting the Table from hospitality king Danny Meyer. And then, of course, there are podcasts like Radio Cherry Bombe. Check out our episodes with restaurateurs Janet Zuccarini and Donna Lennard, and Clementine’s Ice Cream founder Tamara Keefe.
LAST BITS OF ADVICE?
“Be very very very very well set up in the beginning,” says Sara. That sounds obvious, but what does she mean exactly?
“No matter how responsible you’ve been in your choices on who to work with, on where to operate, on the landlord that you’ve chosen to partner with, you are still going to face immense challenges you will not be prepared for,” she says. Do your homework, get hands-on experience, and be well versed in running restaurants. “Make sure you’ve done all your projections, your financials are tight, and you know what your labor is going to look like. This way, you’re going in eyes wide open,” she adds.
Also, notes Sarah, have a lawyer and HR pro on speed dial, and industry peers you can call on.
And both agree you should always be working on your leadership skills. It’s as important as the items on your menu.
“Running a restaurant is so much more than cooking beautiful food,” says Sara.
So, do you need a partner to open a restaurant? Not necessarily.
But if you find someone whose values align with yours, who complements your strengths, who will work as hard as you do, and who is willing to weather the inevitable ups and downs alongside you, the right partner can make the journey a little less lonely, and a lot more sustainable.
Just ask Sara and Sarah.
Real talk from our foodie friends
Cherry Bombe and Square created this guide to help sharpen your focus and move forward with confidence. It’s full of insight from incredible women in dining, including Chef Missy Robbins of Lilia.
Stuff you need to know!
