Seafood buyers who not only want to learn more about the U.S. marketplace but also the diverse folks in the trade read SeaFood Business. In our annual Buyer’s Turn feature, which celebrates our readers, we’d like you to meet two of the best in the business. They’re both named John Y., but the similarities don’t stop there. These men — John Yokoyama, owner of Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle and John Yates, director of seafood for Sysco subsidiary Buckhead Beef — have built their careers on a foundation of pride and commitment.
JOHN YOKOYAMA, Pike Place Fish Market
Several sights spring to mind when you think of Seattle: The Space Needle anchoring the city skyline; fishing boats crowding the waterfront; Mt. Rainier dominating the horizon (on a clear day); and smiling fishmongers in orange slickers tossing salmon back and forth.
That last iconic image can be traced to one guy: John Yokoyama, longtime owner of Seattle’s legendary Pike Place Fish Market. The story about how fish came to be flung like rugby balls at the market is indeed interesting; even more so is the “World Famous” phenomenon that Pike Place Fish Market has become, against all odds. But what might be most fascinating about Yokoyama’s story is how he ultimately found success. It wasn’t with salmon, or even throwing it, really.
“The difference, I think, is the person that I changed into,” he said.
That happened in the mid-1980s. Yokoyama had reluctantly accepted outside help from business consultant Jim Bergquist, who gave him some difficult news to digest — his business needed goals, values and commitment. Not only that, his attitude needed a serious adjustment.
“I was what you’d call a screaming maniac. I’d yell and scream at my employees,” he said. “With [Jim’s] philosophy, I had to alter who I was being — from this tyrant boss to someone who loves, supports and empowers his employees.”
It was a life-changing turnaround, not just a new business strategy.
“It was a 180-degree turn from my personality, so it was pretty tough but I was committed to doing that,” Yokoyama said, adding that it wasn’t always easy because the business he had owned since 1965 (he bought the company for USD 3,500 (EUR 2,630); USD 300 (EUR 225) down and USD 300 a month) wasn’t either. For instance, a wholesale operation he had started years earlier went USD 300,000 (EUR 225,442) in the hole in its first six months before it was abandoned. He was “practically broke,” and prone to negativity.
Click here to read the full story that ran in the August issue of SeaFood Business >
