Simon Kim

Coming Up

The floor teaches the basics first: sequence, timing, pace, and how to read a room. Kim’s start at Kori in Tribeca, New York City, in 1998 moved through busboy, server, and bartender work, then into front-desk service at MGM Grand Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. That path—Baruch College to the floor, then into operations—maps a career built across both guest-facing labor and the mechanics that keep a dining room moving. Management sharpened that range. Kim held manager roles at Shibuya (MGM Grand Las Vegas) in Las Vegas, Nevada, Blue Fin (BR Guest) in Times Square, New York City, Matsugen (Jean-Georges Vongerichten) in Tribeca, New York City, The Mark Restaurant (Jean-Georges Vongerichten) in Upper East Side, New York City, and Bouchon Bakery & Cafe (Thomas Keller) in Time Warner Center, New York City. Taken together, those posts point to a working understanding of service as system: flow, pacing, and the standards required to keep a room consistent. The build-out of his portfolio follows that same logic.

Where They Are Now

At COTE, the format is the point of the room. Korean barbecue is joined to a classic American steakhouse experience, with an interactive dining setup built for gathering rather than passive service. USDA Prime beef anchors the menu, while an award-winning 1200+ label wine list gives the operation breadth. Classic-but-creative cocktails complete the structure, matching the room’s scale with a more tailored register. The larger container is Gracious Hospitality Management, where Kim is CEO and Founder. In practice, that reads less as branding than as an operating principle: guest experience organized with care, but still built to feel alive in the room.

Signature

The signature is COTE Korean Steakhouse. The concept is carried in the name: Korean barbecue presented through the lens of a classic American steakhouse, where the format, service style, and room design are part of the same operating idea.

In Their Words “I was inspired by the bustling markets and plazas in Rome, which are essentially public gathering places where people stop and rest.” “If I had two words to describe how I got here, I would say grit and resilience.”