Gracious Hospitality founder Simon Kim reflects on leadership, longevity and the evolution of modern hospitality. Gary He

This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. Simon Kim has never treated Korean cuisine as a trend to be exploited. From the beginning, he approached it as a category to be built—carefully, rigorously and with long-term conviction. Since opening Cote in New York in 2017, Kim has transformed the idea of a Korean steakhouse into a scalable luxury format that now spans New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Singapore while maintaining Michelin-level consistency across radically different markets.

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That consistency, Kim argues, is not the product of rigid replication but of clarity. COTE is deliberately linear at its core: a beef-centered Korean steakhouse designed and executed by subject-matter experts. The fundamentals do not change, even as each city brings its own cultural expectations. Rather than compromising standards to grow, Kim has built growth around people, developing leaders capable of executing at the highest level, wherever the restaurant opens. Expansion, in this model, is less about chasing opportunity and more about recognizing readiness.

As Korean culture becomes a global economic force—from food to fashion to entertainment—Kim sees hospitality entering a new phase of maturity. Broad, generalized notions of “Korean food” are giving way to more precise, regional and identity-driven expressions, similar to the evolution Italian and Japanese cuisines underwent decades earlier. COTE reflects Kim’s own lived experience as a Korean American trained in French fine dining: not a replica of a restaurant in Korea, but a New York restaurant that honors Korean culture while speaking fluently to its surroundings.

That balance between authenticity and adaptability, discipline and creativity extends to how Kim thinks about design, economics and risk. Dining, for him, is theater, not something to be over-quantified. Growth follows the logic of a living system. And success, ultimately, is measured by delight: if guests are genuinely moved by the experience, the business fundamentals tend to follow. In an industry defined by thin margins, investor pressure and global competition, Kim’s approach offers a rare case study in how cultural relevance, operational rigor and creative conviction can coexist—and scale.

COTE now operates in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Singapore. What is the operating system that allows you to maintain Michelin-level consistency across such different markets?

It ultimately comes down to people and focus. We build and invest in creating exceptional teams of people who are not only incredibly talented but who are dedicated to our restaurants and brand. Rather than compromising standards to scale, we scale by developing leaders who can execute at the highest level in any market.

Equally important, COTE is a linear concept. At its core, it is a beef-centered Korean steakhouse built by subject matter experts. While each city brings different expectations, the fundamentals never change. By staying clear about what the experience is meant to........

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