944

Dining Genius Nick Haque Takes LA's Koi Around the World

Koi has been a long-time priority on the lists of Hollywood’s most coveted diners. The food is amazing, the ambiance impeccable and the social scene filled with attractive singles. Whether on a first date, networking a business dinner or hoping for a celebrity sighting, the posh setting guarantees a unique experience for its guests. Koi’s inventive CEO, Nick Haque, is the secret to the locale’s extraordinary success. Now he’s going global and taking his love of great food and innovative hospitality to the masses. In this exclusive, 944 is the first to report on his international expansion.
The restaurant scene in LA changed dramatically in 2002 when Nick Haque introduced Koi to this city. Combining fine cuisine with a decadent atmosphere, he created new trends for high-end eateries. Before the establishment of Koi, hotspots prided themselves on food and clientele alone, not lending enough focus to the habitat in which the food was consumed and where the patrons mingled. Setting a standard of excellence and raising the bar for other business owners, Haque has begun a movement in the food game where it becomes paramount to secure a great interior designer. Creating tantalizing worlds in which to dine is a new goal, filled with the hope of changing how Angelenos view dining out and, ultimately, affecting their “tastes” when it comes to choosing a dining locale. As a result, many famous restaurants and cafés now begin their journeys with the statement “we want to be like Koi,” referring to the energy the one-of-a-kind restaurant exudes. Haque’s groundbreaking style changed the dynamic of the industry and made him a pioneer in the engineering of dining experiences.
Koi’s environment radiates beauty and positive energy, boasting four dining rooms, an alluring patio warmed by a fireplace, an enticing lounge and a happening sushi bar. The quaint candlelit tables and peaceful Buddha statues are complemented by rich dark wood and bamboo, producing a zen-like atmosphere with a modern edge. “My restaurants are designed to appeal to all the senses,” Haque explains. “I wanted it to feel like home — chic, yet comfortable.” The Los Angeles Times named Haque one of “So Cal’s Top 100 Most Influential People” and his restaurant has received national attention for its Japanese-Fusion cuisine. The restaurant industry is known for risky investments and many restaurants fail within their first year, unable to appease the finicky LA diners; however, Koi’s investors were paid back in full within the very first year of business — an entirely unprecedented return on their investment. This victory enabled Haque to expand, opening locations in New York, Las Vegas and Bangkok, Thailand. Now grossing over $30 million a year, each new location becomes an overnight success, evolving the brand into a cultural icon. Koi has quickly made its way into the mainstream; the place is a recurring feature on HBO’s hit series Entourage as a favorite destination spot of the show’s characters, as well as been the stuff of countless editorial features in prominent magazines and newspapers. The Koi name has even been applied to a premium sake beverage.
Future plans for Koi include the opening of several international locations abroad; currently in consideration are London, Moscow, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai and Tokyo. But Haque is also currently scouting more U.S. locations to inhabit, including Miami and Washington, D.C., where Koi locations are scheduled to open in summer 2009. The Middle Eastern country of Dubai is even hosting a Koi restaurant and will welcome guests beginning next spring.
Despite his worldwide recognition, Angelenos can still catch glimpses of Haque at the LA restaurant on most nights, as he greets guests and checks details. It is this hands-on approach that brings back the regular customer and maintains the perfection of the menu, service and cuisine. His personal commitment to the enjoyment of each guest gives the dining experience a personal touch and an intimate feel that only Koi can deliver.

Take a bite out of a cultural icon at www.koirestaurant.com