“Fried cockroaches, you know, they’re quite good. They have this crispy texture with creaminess. You just have to imagine they’re not cockroaches.”
— Sam Yoon, CEO, Yogurtland
In her monthly “Grab Bag” column, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to show a side of franchising execs you don’t normally see.
Who would play you in the biopic about your life?
Obviously, I have an Asian face so it would be an Asian actor, and I would say Lee Byung-hun. He’s a South Korean actor, he played Storm Shadow in ‘G.I. Joe’ and Billy Rocks in ‘The Magnificent Seven.’ He’s been in many more, but those are two big Hollywood movies. He has a depth and intensity in his acting that I really like.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
It’s difficult for me to work with someone who approaches a problem always thinking it’s always someone else’s fault. It zaps the energy from the rest of the team. It’s not productive.
If you could be a member of any TV show family, which would it be?
What comes to mind is ‘The Brady Bunch.’ My parents were missionaries, and as we were growing up, we had a lot of people coming in and out of our house. At one time 10 people, so lots of activity.
What’s something you would seriously stockpile if you found out it wasn’t going to be sold anymore?
One key part of my life has been living in different cities, many different countries. Between first grade and high school I switched schools 11 times. I’ve lived in Korea, Thailand, Europe, Scotland, in California, in Texas. All over. So, if something wasn’t sold anymore, I would adapt and find an alternative.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
I’ve had my share of strange food. I’ve had fried cockroaches in Thailand, boiled silkworm in Korea, haggis in Scotland. Haggis, it’s a sheep’s liver, heart and lungs cooked with beef, with seasonings, inside a sheep’s stomach. Fried cockroaches, you know, they’re quite good. They have this crispy texture with a creaminess. You just have to imagine they’re not cockroaches.
What are you freakishly good at (or bad at)?
One of my strengths is the ability to do a convincing presentation as long as it’s logical, that it’s something I believe in. On the flip side, if I don’t believe it, I’m freakishly bad at talking through it. I would make a terrible defense lawyer.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Late-night ramen. For some reason, instant noodles after 11 o’clock just taste better. There’s Nongshim, produced in Korea. Or Sapporo, that’s a Japanese ramen noodle. And Mama, a Thai instant noodle.
Which time period in history would you want to visit?
I would like to go back to a time where there was a pivot in history. Maybe the Renaissance … this period coming out of the Middle Ages, where it’s the beginning of something great. Then you come to the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution.
What’s one trend you wish would disappear?
One trend I would like to see die is the rise of misinformation. It’s confusing people, and underpinning this trend is this movement of saying less than the truth. All of this is polarizing ideologies … and it’s affecting and preventing people from accepting each other’s differences. And that’s part of what’s made our country, America, so great.
Editor in chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to show a side of franchising execs you don’t normally see. To suggest an industry professional, email lmichaels@franchisetimes.com.