Planting A Seed That Keeps Growing: The Kokomo Story

One of the most masterful feats a restaurant team pulls off is shielding customers from the many little things it takes to deliver not just great food, but great service, reliability and overall experience. We recently recognized the top 50 most loved restaurants on DoorDash that accomplish all this, in Canada. And when I spoke with Katie Ruddell , the founder behind one of the plant-focused restaurants on the list, I met someone who not only focuses on the smallest details, but revels in setting big goals.?

It’s one thing to set career goals when you stay on the same path. It’s a whole other experience to keep doing it, while pivoting away from something you know you excel at. Katie’s done this on her journey from brand strategist to the founder of plant-focused Kokomo in Vancouver. She proves that you can taste great success in one career, even as you realize it’s not the one you want to stay in.

Katie’s always believed in goal setting. Back at her old job at an ad agency, she wrote down basic ones: to make more money, live in a different apartment, and feel active. Then, she outlined two paths she could take to reach this: asking for a raise or getting a new job. She achieved those goals but then took that drive to Lululemon, where she told her soon-to-be boss that she would quit, and start her own business, within five years: “She said, ‘honey you don’t have the job yet.’”?

“I then got my dream job at Lululemon,” Katie continues, “ on the Women’s Brand team. But I was using all this energy to create strategy decks and other corporate materials, and I couldn’t see how it impacted people in their daily lives. The vision for Kokomo was born out of a desire to have that impact: to bring the energy and warmth of summer to your daily life, through fresh, nourishing, plant-based bowls, a sun-filled space and gratitude.”

I’ve written before about the challenge of taking on things that others don’t think will scale. I believe it’s often when entrepreneurs lean into these challenges that we see the most interesting business evolutions. Katie’s entrepreneurial journey includes such a revelation: “Originally I never thought I’d open more than one location. But the more I studied, the more I realized that in order to pay myself a real salary, and not just volunteer at my own company, I had to scale.”

Katie’s first location choice was made partly through understanding the market, but also personal taste. “I chose Chinatown because I felt it was really at the crux of different communities, going about their busy lives, and I wanted to meet them where they were. Also, growing up in Singapore, although that doesn’t look like Chinatown every day, I’m always nostalgic as I walk through this neighborhood.

“Our second location in Kitsilano has a wonderful beach-y summer feel to it. That just made sense, since our restaurant name and food is inspired by the feeling that sunshine gives you. Edgemont Village was a new community for me, but I brought in a business partner, Colin Denton (above), who introduced me to it and that’s how we evolved there. And then Port Moody (rendering below), our newest spot opening this fall, has a bit of a feel of Edgemont to it. DoorDash helped us choose locations, to make sure we’re not cannibalizing ourselves.”

Along with disproving the idea that we are all only destined for one career, Katie dispels the notion that vegans are a particular ‘type’: “Because I used to work in brand strategy, it originally worked for me to create what I call my ‘muse’. I expected my typical customer would be a freelancer, probably working in the creative field, contributing to brands that they feel aligned with, by spending on them. Never did I imagine that our actual guests would also include young women working in fashion and construction workers alike. I don’t think some of them even realize they’re eating vegan food, they just love the taste and the way it makes them feel!”

Becoming “Most Loved”

The Most Loved program I mentioned before is our way of rewarding restaurants who consistently offer not just great tasting food, but an awesome overall experience, service and reliability. Once identified as most loved, we feature them on the DoorDash app home page, which helps them build credibility, and find new customers, and provide them with marketing materials to display their hard-earned status.

“To be honest, it means so much to be on this list,” Katie told me. “We're fanatical about creating an incredible guest experience. Even in our onboarding documents, we talk about how we show up in our community. That doesn't just mean customers. It also means how we show up for our Dashers. We're also fanatical about testing, before we launch a new menu. DoorDash enables us to do that testing, sample the reaction and decide whether to keep dishes around for longer.”

Running any restaurant in Vancouver, there’s a decent chance your business may be boosted - and also disrupted - by film crews. Kokomo is no exception! “Our Chinatown location sometimes has movie trailers outside, and the producers have even rented out our bathroom. I love when a cast member comes in to pick up food and tells me they wish we were available on set! LeAnn Rimes ordered plenty when she was in town and even posted on her Instagram. And then Alicia Silverstone, who I adored as a kid, is vegan, and also shared her experience on Instagram, ordering with her son. This love goes a long way for a small business like ours.”

Talking with Katie, you get the feeling there have been no accidents in her journey. And I’m inspired by how she has always been an intentional planner. You can hear more, in the episode she appeared on, of the podcast “A Little More Good”.?

Katie has some parting advice for anyone considering making the leap to run their own business: “Think about how you want to feel in ten years, who do you want around you, what’s the legacy you want to create in a decade? Close your eyes and have someone ask you those questions. I’ve seen crazy emotions come out from those conversations, and that helps you get down to the smallest detail, so you can work back from that to set your goals.”?

Keep an eye out for my next stories. I’ll be chatting with a snack maker in Chicago, whose treats made from nopales grown in Mexico and other natural ingredients will be available from our DashMarts. And I’ll introduce you to husband and wife ice cream makers who are introducing New Yorkers to the many flavors of the Caribbean they may not know, also through DashMarts.