Opening Soon

Alan Li
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Opening Soon is the podcast where we go behind the scenes with founders of brick-and-mortar businesses - from Pilates studios to coffee shops, boutiques, medspas, and more.  Hosted by Alan Li, co-founder of FotoLab Studio and Signs and Mirrors, each episode explores how real entrepreneurs found their space, designed their store, hired their team, and built something from nothing. 

  1. 6h ago

    Building WTHN, a Modern Acupuncture Clinic with Michelle Larivee

    In this episode, we sit down with Michelle Larivee, co-founder and CEO of WTHN. An acupuncture and wellness brand with multiple locations across New York City focused on making Eastern medicine more accessible through acupuncture, herbal therapy and holistic wellness products. Before building WTHN, Michelle spent more than a decade in investment banking, finance and healthcare consulting at firms like Merrill Lynch, Deloitte and IFC.  Michelle developed a deep understanding of America’s broken healthcare system. It wasn’t until a devastating ski accident left her dealing with chronic pain that everything changed. After trying nearly every treatment available, Michelle discovered acupuncture and Chinese medicine. What started as a way to heal from pain quickly became something much bigger as she experienced improvements in sleep, stress, fertility and overall health. Frustrated by how difficult and expensive it was to access high quality acupuncture, Michelle saw an opportunity to build a more modern, accessible wellness experience. Today, WTHN has grown into a multi-location wellness brand across New York with plans for national expansion.  Within is helping bring acupuncture and preventative care into the mainstream. In this episode, we talk about: • Leaving a successful career in finance and consulting to become a founder • How a ski accident inspired the creation of WTHN • Michelle’s personal experience with acupuncture and chronic pain recovery • Why Eastern medicine is becoming more mainstream • Raising venture funding for a wellness business • Building WTHN’s first location in Flatiron • Navigating COVID shortly after launching the business • How WTHN educates first-time acupuncture patients • The rise of preventative care, longevity and holistic wellness • Scaling a multi-location wellness brand in New York City • What Michelle has learned about building a consumer healthcare brand Whether you’re building a wellness business or curious about the future of preventative healthcare, this episode is for you. Resources & Links WTHN Website:  https://wthn.com/ WTHN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wthn/?hl=en Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources → Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com → NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio → Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast → More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com → Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

    41 min

  2. Jul 1

    Starting California Pizza Kitchen With No Restaurant Experience - Rick Rosenfield

    Rick Rosenfield is the co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen. The restaurant brand that helped pioneer California style pizza and introduced the world to the iconic barbecue chicken pizza. Before launching California Pizza Kitchen, Rick spent more than a decade as a federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney alongside his law partner Larry Flax. Although both had successful legal careers, they shared a passion for food and entrepreneurship. At the age of 40, they left the practice of law behind to pursue an idea.  At that time they had no name, no menu and no chef. From personally guaranteeing their first lease and borrowing $250,000 to open the restaurant, to raising additional capital from friends and family before serving a single customer, Rick shares the story behind California Pizza Kitchen's early days. He discusses how barbecue chicken pizza became an overnight sensation, the mentors who encouraged them to take the leap, the challenges of scaling from one restaurant to 25 locations in just seven years and the lessons learned from partnering with PepsiCo during one of the restaurant industry's biggest acquisitions. Today, California Pizza Kitchen remains one of the most influential restaurant brands of the last four decades. Through his new memoir, Rick reflects on the entrepreneurial journey, leadership principles and culture that turned a bold idea into a global restaurant company. In this episode, we talk about: • Leaving a successful legal career at age 40 to start California Pizza Kitchen • How the idea for California Pizza Kitchen was born • Building a business with no menu, no chef and no restaurant experience • Raising capital from friends, family and early investors • Creating the legendary barbecue chicken pizza • Opening the first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills • Scaling from one restaurant to 25 locations in seven years • Building a culture centered around Respect, Opportunity, Communication and Kindness (ROCK) • Growing through shopping centers and national expansion • Partnering with PepsiCo and the $100 million acquisition • The challenges of rapid growth and maintaining company culture Resources & Links Rick’s Website: https://www.rickrosenfield.com/ Rick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-rosenfield-9185933a9 Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources → Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com → NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio → Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast → More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com → Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

    55 min

  3. Jun 17

    From Tech Founder (The Knot) to Omakase Restauranteur (Kinjo) - David Liu

    David Liu is the founder of Kinjo, a 14 seat omakase counter and cocktail lounge in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Before launching Kinjo, David spent more than two decades building one of the internet’s most recognizable consumer brands as the co-founder and former CEO of The Knot.  The wedding planning platform that helped shape the modern wedding industry. After taking the company public and eventually selling it, David found himself buying oyster farms in the Pacific Northwest and unexpectedly entering the restaurant business. What started as a search for something more “analog” led David to oyster farming, investing in hospitality and eventually co-founding Kinjo, an affordable omakase concept designed to bring high-quality sushi experiences to local communities.  Today, David and his team are working to scale Kinjo beyond New York with plans to expand into cities across the country while using food as a way to build connection, community and cultural understanding. In this episode, we talk about:  • Building The Knot from the early days of the internet to a public company  • Why David walked away from tech after 20 years  • Buying and operating one of the country’s largest oyster farms  • The surprising economics behind omakase restaurants  • Why David believes sushi can scale across America  • Building Kinjo and expanding into multiple cities  • Using hospitality and food to bridge cultural divides  • Lessons from working alongside his wife for decades Resources & Links Kinjo Website: https://www.kinjodumbo.com/ David Liu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davdliu Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources → Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com → NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio → Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast → More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com → Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

    49 min

  4. Jun 3

    How Franco Noriega Built 15-sq-ft Fellini Coffee Into One of NYC’s Most Viral Brands

    Franco Noriega is the founder of Fellini Coffee, one of New York City’s most popular coffee brands, with more than six locations opened in under three years. Before launching Fellini, Franco had an unconventional career path that included competing as a professional swimmer, qualifying for the Olympics, modeling for brands like Dolce & Gabbana, studying acting in New York and opening restaurants across the city. After years in the restaurant industry building Baby Brasa, Franco discovered an overlooked corner space that had been used as a trash room for decades. That tiny 15 square foot space eventually became the first Fellini Coffee location in the West Village. What started as a small luxury coffee window quickly turned into one of the city’s most recognizable and fastest-growing coffee brands. Today, Fellini has expanded across Manhattan with locations in Soho, Chelsea, Meatpacking, the Upper West Side and Upper East Side with even more growth planned. In this episode, we talk about:  • Qualifying for the Olympics as a teenager  • Going from professional swimming to modeling and acting  • Becoming the face of Dolce & Gabbana with no modeling experience  • Opening Baby Brasa and nearly going bankrupt  • How the pandemic unexpectedly transformed the business  • Turning a former trash room into the first Fellini Coffee  • Building a luxury coffee brand in one of the most competitive markets in the world  • Scaling Fellini to multiple NYC locations without investors  • Using AI to streamline operations and growth Resources & Links Franco Noriega Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franconorhal/ Fellini Coffee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fellinicoffee/ Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources → Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com → NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio → Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast → More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com → Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

    51 min

  5. May 20

    Building a $10M Brewery starting in high school: The 30 Year Journey of Ska Brewing

    Dave Thibodeau is the founder of Ska Brewing, one of the early pioneers of the American craft beer movement.  He started brewing beer in high school after discovering his dad’s old homebrewing logbook, which eventually led to launching Ska Brewing in the mid-90s. Over the next 30 years, Dave and his partners grew the company from a small warehouse operation into a regional craft brewery producing tens of thousands of barrels annually and generating millions in revenue. Along the way, they built their own manufacturing facility, launched a distribution company, opened a taproom and restaurant and experimented with new concepts.  Including a brewstillery that famously opened and shut down the same day COVID hit. Today, after decades of building the business, Dave has sold Ska Brewing and continues to help lead the company through its next chapter. In this episode, we talk about:  • Starting a brewery from a homebrewing hobby  • Scaling from 78 barrels to 30,000 barrels per year  • The realities of distribution and shrinking margins  • Opening a brewstillery and shutting down in 71 minutes  • How COVID impacted the craft beer and hospitality industry  • Managing multiple revenue streams in one business  • Why Dave decided to sell after 30 years Dave also shares the lessons he’s learned building a company over three decades, the biggest mistakes he made with contracts and scaling and why running a brewery is far more complex than most people think. Resources & Links Dave Thibodeau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skabrewdave/ Dave Thibodeau: Dave@skabrewing.com/ Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources → Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com → NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio → Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast → More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com → Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

    48 min

  6. May 6

    Building a $1 million Social Club with Draymond Washington (Three Cities Social Club)

    Draymond Washington is the founder of Three Cities Social Club, a Chicago-based membership club designed to help adults make real friends and build a meaningful community. Before launching the business, Draymond played professional soccer and later worked as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. After moving to Chicago without knowing anyone, he struggled to find connection through traditional social clubs and networking events. He started hosting small gatherings, book clubs and game nights to bring people together. Draymond hosted more than 90 events in a single year while still working full time, slowly building a community that proved people were hungry for genuine connection. Today, Three Cities Social Club has hundreds of members, multiple locations in Chicago and dozens of monthly events designed to help people meet and build lasting relationships. In this episode, we talk about: Why it’s harder than ever for adults to make friendsHosting 90+ events while working a full-time jobTurning community building into a profitable businessOpening physical locations for the businessWhy social clubs are becoming a major trend in modern citiesThe future of businesses focused on building communityDraymond also shares the lessons he’s learned building a company from scratch, the challenges of running a membership-based business and why real-world community may be one of the most valuable things people have today. Resources & Links Three Cities Social Club Website: https://www.threecitiessocial.com/ Three Cities Social Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threecities.social/ Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources → Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com → NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio → Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast → More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com → Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

    49 min

  7. Apr 1

    Building Ziggy’s Roman Cafe: A Family-Friendly Restaurant Born From Parenting Reality

    Helen Zhang is the co-founder of Ziggy’s Roman Cafe, a new restaurant in Dumbo, Brooklyn designed to solve a problem many parents have.  How do you go out to eat with kids and still enjoy a great meal? Before opening Ziggy’s, Helen spent more than 15 years in hospitality PR and brand marketing. She also worked at Tend, helping the company scale from just a few locations to dozens across the East Coast. But after becoming a parent, Helen and her husband, co-founder of the iconic cocktail bar Employees Only, realized something was missing in the restaurant.  A restaurant that combined serious food, great drinks and a  family-friendly environment. Ziggy’s Roman Cafe was created out of that idea.  A neighborhood restaurant serving Roman-inspired pizzas and pastas with craft cocktails, community events and even a small play space upstairs so parents can enjoy dinner while kids stay entertained. In this episode, Helen shares the story behind launching Ziggy’s and what it’s really like opening a restaurant in New York City. In this episode, we talk about: Leaving a 15-year career in PR and marketing to start a restaurantBuilding a restaurant inspired by parenthoodWhy community building was the core of Ziggy’s marketing strategyHosting local events and pop-ups before the restaurant even openedUsing storefront signage, social media and email lists to build buzzThe unexpected challenges of opening a restaurant Why starting with a simple menu helped the team operate more efficientlyWorking with your spouse as a co-founderBalancing entrepreneurship, family life and riskIf you’re looking to open a restaurant, especially with a concept not yet around, this episode has an honest look at what it takes. Resources & Links Ziggy’s Roman Cafe Website: https://www.ziggysromancafe.com/ Ziggy’s Roman Cafe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ziggysromancafe/ Helen Zhang LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenzhangnyc Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources → Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com → NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio → Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast → More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com → Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

    49 min

  8. Mar 4

    From Garage Pop-Up to $16M Grocery Store: The Riverwards Produce Story with Vincent Finazzo

    Vincent Finazzo is the founder of Riverwards Produce, a neighborhood grocery market in Philadelphia that started in a 20x20 garage and has grown into a multi-location business doing nearly $16 million in annual sales. Vincent studied art in Chicago, moved to Philly to work in museums and took a job at Whole Foods as a janitor just to pay the bills.  Fifteen years later, after working his way up to produce buyer, brokering truckloads of produce across the country and waking up at 3am to deliver vegetables out of a Honda Civic, he turned a pop-up market into one of the most respected independent grocery brands in the country. In this episode, Vincent breaks down the real economics of grocery, why he refuses to offer delivery, and how constant reinvestment fueled Riverwards’ growth. We talk about: Starting a retail business with $500 and no investorsHow 200 pumpkins sparked growthGoing from $35K in sales to millions in annual revenueThe reality of 3-4% profit margins in groceryNegotiating a below-market lease that made the first store possibleDesigning a store people want to spend time inThe logistics of managing 4,000+ SKUsHow social media became his only marketing channelWhy he believes physical retail if done right is the futureVincent also shares lessons on starting before you’re ready, persistence, discipline and staying true to your core motivations. Resources & Links Riverwards Produce Website: https://www.riverwardsproduce.com/ Riverwards Produce Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riverwardsproduce/?hl=en Vincent Finazzo: https://www.instagram.com/vincentfinazzo/?hl=en Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores. Opening Soon Links & Resources → Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com → NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio → Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast → More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com → Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

    53 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Opening Soon is the podcast where we go behind the scenes with founders of brick-and-mortar businesses - from Pilates studios to coffee shops, boutiques, medspas, and more.  Hosted by Alan Li, co-founder of FotoLab Studio and Signs and Mirrors, each episode explores how real entrepreneurs found their space, designed their store, hired their team, and built something from nothing. 

Information

  • Creator
    Alan Li
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Opening Soon
  • Show Website
    Opening Soon

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