Ju Hak Kim’s family moved from Korea to the U.S. when he was just 10 years old. Growing up in Philadelphia with his parents and younger brother, Ju Hak developed a love for both food and community — two things that would eventually define his career.

After earning dual degrees in Risk Management & Insurance and Accounting from Temple University, Ju Hak found his true calling not behind a desk, but in the dynamic world of restaurants. He kicked off his management career with Starr Restaurants at Morimoto, where he worked his way up from hourly manager/key holder to Assistant General Manager over five years.

After three decades in Philly, Ju Hak and his wife decided to trade city lights for southern charm and made the move to Georgia about seven years ago. Since then, he’s continued to grow his leadership in hospitality, serving as General Manager for both Maven Restaurant Group and Ray’s Restaurants.

Outside of work, Ju Hak embraces his inner nerd with a growing Lego collection — a pandemic-born hobby that’s here to stay. He’s a lifelong X-Files fan, still has a soft spot for ‘90s and early-2000s icons like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Charlize Theron, and Keanu Reeves, and believes that Costco might just be the happiest place on Earth (he’d move in if they let him).

If his life were a movie, it’d be titled The Good, the Bad and the Ugly — a fitting nod to the ups, downs, and everything in between. Oh, and one fun fact: don’t hand him a tuna can. Those sharp lids? Total nightmare fuel.