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Chef Sungchul Shim has experienced the highs and lows of working in the restaurant industry. Over the last 20 years, Chef Shim has worked his way up the ranks and ultimately opened his first restaurant, Kochi (“skewer” in Korean) in 2019 in Manhattan. And he didn’t stop there: he went onto found four more Manhattan-based restaurants in the coming years, each of which drew on his Korean heritage: Mari, which opened in 2021; Don Don Korean BBQ and MariNe Handroll Bar, which both opened in 2023; and most recently Gui Steakhouse.
R&D Foods, a specialty foods shoplocated in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, opened in May 2014and offers made-to-order sandwiches, vegetable-driven prepared foods, grocerystaples, and treats like old-fashioned cake donuts made fresh every morning.
Plaques by Azra, a Queens-based manufacturer and distributor of awards, was started over 50 years ago by Azra Khalfan-Kermali’s parents, AunAli & Shirin Khalfan, who immigrated from Tanzania. The couple ran the business, raised three children, and became highly involved in serving their local community. In 1997, Azra, the company’s namesake, joined the team. She now runs the bustling Plaques by Azra, building on the belief that awards and premium incentives are key to expressing appreciation for employees, donors, scholars, and customers.
