Marguerite Zabar Mariscal: CEO of Momofuku

Second Life

Who What Wear

Business, Careers, Society & Culture, Arts, Fashion & Beauty, Personal Journals

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2023

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Marguerite Zabar Mariscal is the woman leading all that is Momofuku: a pioneering restaurant group credited with starting the rise of contemporary Asian American cuisine in the United States, an assortment of restaurant-grade pantry staples like ramen noodles and addictive chilli crunch, and bona fide culinary empire. Over the span of 11-years, she’s worked her way up from public relations intern to brand director and chief of staff. As the trusted right hand of celebrity and James Beard Foundation Award–winning Chef David Chang for years, in 2019, at 30 years old, she was named CEO of Momofuku. On one hand, it all makes sense (after all, she was born into the family behind the specialty import emporium Zabars), but to Marguerite, the path was far from mapped out ahead of her. “I feel like anyone who grows up wanting to be a CEO is like a psychopath,” she tells Hillary on this week’s episode. Tune in to hear how Marguerite pivoted from thinking she’d find her place within the media world to leading one of the most influential restaurant groups (and beyond) of the past two decades.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, I'm Hillary Kerr, the co-founder and chief content officer of Who Outwear, and
0:11.2	this is Second Life, a podcast spotlighting women who have truly inspiring careers.
0:16.7	We're talking about their work journeys, what they've learned from the process of setting
0:20.9	aside their doubts or fears, and what happens when they embark on their Second Life.
0:25.8	Today, I'm chatting with the CEO of the Momofuku Empire, Margarit, Zeybar, Mariscal.
0:33.6	If for some reason you are unfamiliar with the restaurant group and overall phenomenon,
0:38.8	I am honored to enlighten you.
0:41.5	In 2004, Chef David Chang opened a restaurant called Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City,
0:48.4	a concept that has been wildly impactful, influencing everything in the food and hospitality
0:54.8	industries from cuisine to design to service to concepts.
1:00.4	Today, there are iterations of Momofuku in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, plus Momofuku
1:07.2	Goods, a line of restaurant-grade products for home cooks that Margarit launched during
1:13.0	the pandemic.
1:15.0	Including seasoning salts, ramen noodles, and a highly addictive chili crunch, the
1:20.2	launch of Momofuku Goods made the company a million dollars in just 70 days and can
1:26.4	now be found on the shelves of over 2,000 retail doors, including at-target and whole foods.
1:33.7	In many ways, it makes perfect sense that Margarit is helming this brand.
1:38.3	In fact, you might say it's in her blood.
1:41.4	Born and raised on the Upper West Side, to the family that founded the specialty foods
1:45.9	in Poryum, Zaybars, she was exposed to the culinary world at a very young age.
1:53.0	But rather than leaning into her family's business, she was encouraged to pursue a different
1:59.1	path and initially toyed with the idea of working in media and production.
	...

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