Xiao worked at a Chinese restaurant in Utah when he first came to the U.S. After two years of working in the food industry, he gained a lot of experience and wanted to do something on his own. Xiao opened his first Chinese takeout place when he was 25. He did very well and earned some money. Through the introduction of acquaintances, he met his current wife and got married. 

When Xiao came to the U.S, he did not speak a single word of English. An old man from the restaurant he worked at became his friend and introduced him to the American friends. Xiao mentioned that he learned English through eating with the Americans. He also studied a lot by himself. He did not feel lonely when he first got here, because he was in Chinatown and surrounded by Chinese people. They gave him a lot of advice and treated him like family.

Xiao opened FUJI Steakhouse in Lewisburg in September, 2016. He created the menu by himself. When creating the menu, Xiao noticed that the Americans love sweet and sour tastes. He created his menu 95% based on the American taste. Over the years, he adds more dishes to the menu. Now, the menu includes all kinds of food: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, etc. It gives people a variety of choices. 

One difficulty of opening FUJI was that he had no allies. He borrowed the money from his relatives and was under a lot of pressure because he did not want to owe them. Xiao mentions that in order to succeed, one has to be focused on the process but not the result. He worked hard and planned on each detail of the restaurant, including the decoration. He served every customer respectfully and had received a lot of positive feedbacks. After FUJI was open for two weeks, the business was getting very busy. 

Xiao decided to open a Japanese restaurant because during the 2010s, Japanese restaurants are most welcomed by the Americans. The trend changes every decade. During the 1900s, Chinese takeouts were people’s favorite. Starting from the 2000s, the Americans preferred buffet style dining. Then, it became Japanese restaurants. Now, the dessert shops and healthy foods are people’s favorites. Xiao notices the trend and follows it.

For future plans, Xiao does not want to open chain restaurants. He states that FUJI is very unique, and it can not be duplicated. The menu is too complicated to be copied, because he invented most of the dishes himself. He keeps close looks at each dish the employee creates and makes sure the taste is consistent. He thinks reputation is the most important aspect of a restaurant that brings customers back.

This is the link to Fuji Steakhouse's website: http://www.fujisteakhouse-sd.com/menu.html. Check it out!