Sagar Gurung and Rocky Shresthra - Kathmandu Momo Station
MARCH 24, 2020 © Right Here, Right Now.
Josh - How are you doing right now?
Sagar
Super confused. I think I keep saying it feels like a movie, it doesn’t feel real right? I’m nervous. I’ve been as an entrepreneur I opened my first shop close to four years ago and we were just getting excited about Momo Shop and the Food Hall. And we were just getting done with our slow days in the winter and we were like “Okay, summer’s here let's make some Momo’s” and then this shit happens. I don’t know, I think inwardly I’m much more panicky than how it looks outside. Outside we have a team that we need to talk to on a daily basis, I’m worried about them, I’m worried about my family, I’m worried about my three-year-old. But I’m also grateful that I have friends and partners like Rocky and Aagya. Right now it’s a little scary. I think that’s how Sagar feels right now.
Josh - How does Rocky feel right now?
Rocky
I’m really just an optimist so I think we’ll be fine. For me personally there was a little bit of, I won’t say panic, because I think in my heart I believe we will come out of this well and better than we did because it’s given us time to look at a lot of different things, look at a lot of different processes, as business goes. Personally I quit my job a month ago (Laughs) so…
Sagar
So the timing was great (Laughs)
Rocky
You know, I have accepted the fact that this has happened. It does feel like a movie, some days I just sit there…even in my wildest imagination I would not have thought that I would have to go through this. But I have accepted the fact that we’re going through it and I’m looking at the positives right? It’s given us a chance to look at our processes and it’s pushed us to do a lot of different new things, that maybe, in just being busy and focusing on what we’re doing day to day we weren’t able to do. For example our online ordering, we’ve been talking about it for months and we got it done in two days right? So something good comes of it. That’s how I feel right now, I’m optimistic that we’ll make it through these challenges.
Josh - When did all of the changes begin to hit you? How did you feel at that moment when they said only ten people could come into the business?
Rocky
I think we were a little ahead of it. We had discussed what we needed to do, we had already discussed maybe closing down…the earlier we closed down the sooner we could open. And when the mayor was on the t.v., when that happened it kind of…for us, not just as individuals but also as business owners, and with the staff of people, it kind of stuck them right? So my thought process started going, okay what about our employees, what would we do? That’s when the thought process really came about. Before that, I was ready for it in more of a precautionary way, but after that, it was more of a reality and we had to really figure out what we were going to do.
Sagar
We had actually started talking about it over two weeks ago. We thought, this is coming, it’s going to happen, it’s happening elsewhere. So our thought processes were aligned to, as soon as we close the sooner we can open. But then, and I think we were one of the first ones to close as far as in Inner Rail. I think it was more of a group discussion we were having with the team. I think our number one priority was okay, how do we all stay safe? But in the back of my head, I was like “Fuck, I’m screwed”, if this goes any longer than three weeks or a month, you know besides the health and everything, which is still the main focus, but as a small business owner…so I think I was the first one to start panicking. It was Rocky that was like, “we’re going to be alright, we’re going to pull through this”. And outwardly I wasn’t having any discussions about me panicking outside of Rocky and my wife, and Aagya. But inwardly I was panicking, I think I was listening to Rocky in those times just going “Let's think of something, let's think of a workaround”. Our team was pretty supportive and they said just let us know what we need to do.
Rocky
We have a fantastic team so it made it easier. My throughs process was “Two weeks, two weeks” you know, “We’ll do these two weeks” and then suddenly it was like “Oh, this is going to be longer”. So my brain is in that mode where like, I wouldn’t say I wake up worried or anything, but think, is this going to be longer? New York now doesn’t have any take out, it’s in full lockdown. So the through process came, what do we do if that happens and how long will it be? So the gravity of the situation is really singing in and as the days go by, I wouldn’t say it’s a stalemate but it’s heading that way.
Sagar
I think Rocky was cautious, and he was taking it day by day and paying attention to the industry leaders here. For us, that’s been the game, I think we’ve been paying really close attention. Talking to John, where we are colocated here in Scriptown, he had an abundant amount of information, listening to the industry leaders here in Blackstone, we had a meeting a week and a half ago or so…and just paying close attention to what these guys are doing, who have been in this industry doing what they do for a long time. And watching and hearing the national news or international development. There’s been a lot of confusion but we’ve just been following and listening making adjustments as we go.
Josh - How has your friendship kind of helped you along the way through this?
Rocky
There is a comfort level, we were friends first. When we did the first interview it was hard for me to just refer to him as my business partner, we were friends first. for me that’s how it works, there’s that comfort level, we can tell each other what is happening and you know, the connection is more genuine than if we were just strangers in business together.
Josh - How about you Sagar?
Sagar
To me, Rocky is my therapist. I don’t think there is anything I haven’t told him. We go way back to college days. So to me, it’s still the same dynamics. As soon as I thought about opening the hole in the wall here, the first person I reached out to was Rocky saying “Hey, what are you up to”? So he came in and helped, and ever since then I think Rocky and my wife Mira run the show here and I’m just the background guy or the social media guy pretty much you know? And in these times it’s been the same, I’m like “Rocky, man, shits going down” and he’ll be like “Calm down bro”. (Laughs) So for example, due to current circumstances our website we had been talking about, we didn’t have a website, in two days we reached out to our good friend from back in college put up a website for us, this happened in two days right, and then online ordering was set up overnight. So we were hustling, we were panicking but at the same time we were thinking “What do we do, where do we go from here”. And I think in times like this, instead of just panicking if it were just me I would have locked myself in the house and just stay there right? So I think to have Rocky and Aagya, having these people as friends than partners later, there more level headed than I am. I think that’s how I look at it. I’m very emotional and I have my ups and downs and that shows in my work and shows in my day today. So I’m glad that those dynamics were there during these times.
We had a customer that comes in regularly to Himalayan Java that texted me and asked if I had a PayPal that I use because he wanted to transfer some money that he usually spends there. From a customer perspective, I’ve always looked at my customers in a way where I could build a friendship, so it kind of solidified the kind of culture that I feel strongly about. Right now…we talk about it all the time…sometimes I don't’ think people are even craving Momo’s, they’re just ordering to say that “We’re here for you”. To me, it was a very emotional experience to get a text from my customers saying I’m going to transfer you money, whatever it is on a daily basis cause I’m not there, but I know you’re not making any money so. So from a customer standpoint I feel more connected, I’m more thankful. We’ve always been thankful but under these current circumstances, I’ve realized how dependent I am on them more. From a partner standpoint I’ve been, man I have been blessed with people. Throughout my life and throughout my journey, not just these circumstances but now it kind of solidifies it a little bit more on those fronts as well. Rocky telling me “Dude you stay home, you got a little girl, I’m just me”. Those were his words. Just for the fact that he said you have a two-year-old at home, you don’t need to take this risk, just stay home. So things like that. Just Aagya at inner rail just doing her thing.
Right now for us, it’s not even about making money, it’s just about survival. How do we survive the next whatever months or weeks or whatever it is?
Rocky
My dad said it’s about reinvention. My dad’s a good businessman, and he said it’s about reinvention. Things are going to happen it’s how you get to come out of it and reinvent yourself to deal with it. And I think we are very blessed to have Aagya’s leadership over there because she’s there even when it’s closed taking care of little things and little things make a big difference.
Sagar
I feel like all of us feel very lucky to have the people that are around us.
Rocky
We are very lucky. We are very blessed with people. Our staff, our partners, our friends, our customers. I mean the client base, we open at three and we have orders coming in at nine in the morning so we are just blessed. They’ve been leaving us messages on our special instructions saying “Thanks for doing this, let us know how we can support you more”.
Sagar
Things like that man, I might get emotional just talking about it. It’s nuts though…the last few days you read these messages and…yeah.
Josh - What is it like having the community surround you and what do you think that says about Omaha?
Sagar
So for example, I think I’ve said this in a couple of interviews before. I feel blessed and I feel grateful to see the changes. I told you a story about how we use to get…and it’s not just an isolated case for me if you talk to any Nepali people growing up in the 90’s here and the early 2000’s you hear this from all of this. We would get letters from management saying “whatever you’re cooking it’s bothering your neighbors so stop cooking”. From that to now, where, like you said, to see lines of our community to eat our food, to pay for our food…so that is just a feeling I can’t express. To me personally, I’ve been here for 25 years now, but I’ve always had this desire to bring something from back home. It could be food or coffee, whatever it is, to kind of add to the fabric to what Omaha is. For the longest time, there were a lot of naysayers, even for us too, when we were introducing moms we were like “Just because we like them, doesn’t mean that everyone is going to like them”. To kind of see the community that we call home now…they’re loving it, and that just gives us that extra boost. It just makes us a happy man. So every time people that are really engaged and aware of the food scene in our community like the chef from the boiler room coming in…it was really a validation. And when we see our Thursday runners in Scriptown come in and knowing that part of the running fun is because there are momos, or Tuesday trivia night people coming, for example, our Trivia host Kevin coined the term “Small Pockets of Joy”, I can’t even express…I could just yap for 20 more minutes, I think it’s awesome.
Rocky
When I moved to Lincoln, I remember calling my mom and told her “Mom, people here are strange…they wave at you in the streets”. Because you don’t see that in Nepal. And I think it still stands to this day, even in Omaha. People genuinely care about you. We’re so blessed to have John and his whole family here because no matter what happens we can go to them for guidance. Our customers are just the same. They genuinely love the product. For me, I’m not a very emotional guy so I don’t do it at the same level as he does but I thought it was super cool. The same doubt, as he said, people thought just because we like it doesn’t mean that the locals will like it. And for me all of my friends like it so there was still a little bit of a confidence level. But it’s really really cool and it’s really really humbling. We’ve become a part of a community that I did not think existed. For me, he worked in kitchens before but I’ve never worked in a restaurant.
Sagar
Even though he cooked a lot for us he had never been exposed to the restaurant industry. Aagya has been in the restaurant industry for the longest time, I had been in it for a long time. So for him, I think he was a little hesitant when I wanted to sell Momos to people in the midwest not understanding the scene in Omaha.
Josh - What’s it like being able to provide comfort right now through food?
Sagar
Man, I’d be lying…I think it’s the other way around for me. I think it’s the people that are coming to eat at our establishment that is providing comfort for us. For me, as I said, Rocky and Aagya have been a more stable force and I’m the guy that calls you ten times an hour just like “Dude did you see this”. So to me, I’m grateful every time the order comes in. because I was the first one on our team to say that we need to shut down. We can’t put anybody in harm's way, like any of the staff. We talked to the staff and we’re like “are you guys okay”? If we lay you off right now, this is how you apply to unemployment. So to me, it’s been the opposite for me, it’s been comforting. So to me, it's the opposite. It’s the people ordering and texting us. People actually taking the time to text message us and saying the things that they’re saying, to me that’s been comforting.
Josh - What is it like being a father during this time and how would you like your daughter to remember you when she’s your age now?
Sagar
Well, to answer your first questions, you know I’ve told you how emotional I am and I can panic rather quickly…so my wife is the same (laughs) So that doesn’t help each other. So there’s no voice like “You know, Babe it’s going to be alright”. Both of us are sitting there going “Dude what do we do”. (Laughs) But when we see our kid we try to minimize that, because the last thing we need is a three-year-old trying to make sense of what is going on. When I’m home that’s all I see, I see the joy in her and I become part of it. But anytime I have to step out of the house, the fear isn’t about what will happen to me, I’m always careful, but the fear is bringing it back to the kid…and…I’m just nervous for her right? But at the same time, I feel like I don’t want to rub that energy on her. So when I’m with her we have our daily dance routines, I’m obsessed taking pictures and videos of her, if you go to my social media that’s all you’ll see. When I’m there I tend to forget what's going on outside of my house, I’m just there in the moment. I don’t know in another three decades I don’t know if she’ll remember all of this and the seriousness of all of this. I don’t know, as a dad, as a father, I just want to teach her how to be self-sufficient, be kind, and be a good human. I would like her not to know how serious it was, I think at least for a three-year-old, I think that would be my responsibility is to make her feel loved and protected throughout. So hopefully the only thing would be me exaggerating the circumstances, showing her the videos, and telling her how I was a good dad and how I protected her.
