⚓️ 青年创业的契机与决心：Nikolai Smirnoff在19岁时，因签证问题面临离开香港的困境，为了能继续留在这个他视为家的地方，他毅然决定创业。尽管缺乏管理经验，但他凭借对香港的归属感和决心，签署了餐厅租约，开启了他的创业之路，这体现了他在面对生活重大转折时的勇气和适应能力。

💡 从打工到老板的转变：Smirnoff在美国的大学期间，因思念香港而选择辍学返回。为了留在香港，他放弃了回美继续学业的念头，并在一家餐厅从基层做起，积累了宝贵的餐饮业经验。这段经历不仅磨练了他的技能，也为他日后独立创业奠定了基础，展示了从打工者到企业家的成长过程。

📈 疫情下的意外机遇与调整：在疫情期间，Smirnoff的餐厅因旅行限制而成为当地热门目的地，生意异常火爆。然而，规模的扩大也让他反思，并意识到自己更倾向于小型、更具人情味的餐饮模式。这一洞察促使他关闭了大型餐厅，并在2021年开设了Graceland，一个更符合他最初愿景的、充满美式复古风格的餐厅。

⚖️ 创业成功的关键要素：Smirnoff分享了他的创业心得，强调了亲身参与、实时解决问题、保护原创性以及关注身心健康的重要性。他认为，远离社交媒体能激发创造力，而充足的睡眠和健康的生活习惯则能提升效率和稳定性。此外，他对宠物的热爱也展现了他生活中的另一面。

🏡 对香港的深厚情感与未来规划：Smirnoff表示，香港是他真正感到归属的城市。他与伴侣在香港建立了生活和事业，并计划在这里定居和抚养孩子。这种对城市的深厚情感，是支撑他克服重重困难、坚持在香港发展事业的重要动力。

Nikolai Smirnoff, now 29, moved to Hong Kong with his family as a teenager.He went back to the US for college, but dropped out after his first semester and moved back to Hong Kong.After his parents left, he had no visa to stay in the city, so he opened his own business

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nikolai Smirnoff, 29, an American restaurant owner in Hong Kong. His words have been edited for length and clarity.

At 19, with no degree and only a year left on my visa, I had no idea what would come next. Starting a business seemed like the only way I could keep living in Hong Kong.

So, I signed a four-year lease on a restaurant. I had never managed a team, raised capital, or run a kitchen. But I knew I wasn't ready to leave. It was the first city that finally felt like home.

I was born in Portland, Oregon. At 12, my family moved to a quiet city in Japan that felt isolating. Three years later, we landed in Hong Kong, a vibrant and fast-paced city. I was 15, and I finally felt at home.

Dropping out of college

After high school, I headed back to the US for college and enrolled at Portland State to study psychology. The long commute under gray skies quickly made me miss Hong Kong.

During a visit back over Christmas, after just one semester, I realized I didn't want to stay in the US or continue my college education.

My mom gave me two choices: pay rent or work 30 hours a week.

I quickly realized it was a trick question, as I couldn't pay rent without a job. I chose the latter and started working at Casa, a tapas restaurant in Sai Kung, a laid-back seaside town about an hour from Hong Kong's city center.

I started at the bottom of the ladder, working mainly on the floor and at the bar, before becoming the bar manager after six months. Those 50-hour workweeks gave me a crash course in hospitality, stripped away social anxiety, and built up my confidence.

But a year later, reality hit. My mom was leaving Hong Kong, which meant I only had one year left on my dependent visa. To stay, I would need to get my own.

My original idea was to open a small café, but instead I scraped together my college fund, pitched investors, and, with my former manager at Casa, Courtney Horwood, opened Momentai — a 100-seat waterfront restaurant.

My mom told me, "This is your one shot — don't expect a bailout if it fails." That pressure was clarifying.

COVID initially worked in our favor

During the pandemic, Momentai boomed. With travel off-limits, Sai Kung became a weekend destination, and the restaurant was packed for two years. But growing to 200 seats made it less personal, more mechanical. I realized I wanted something smaller, closer to my original café dream.

In 2021, I opened Graceland in Mong Kok, a vibrant neighborhood in Hong Kong known for its street markets and energetic crowds. The restaurant, inspired by Americana, is adorned with retro posters and serves soulful Southern cuisine. I describe it as a dive bar with genuinely good food.

I met my wife, Ellen, at Momentai, where she worked during its peak. She's from Baltimore but has lived in Hong Kong most of her life, and now runs our front of house at Graceland. We started dating just before Momentai closed, so when we opened this place, it felt natural for her to be part of it.

These days, I'm mostly behind the scenes while she's the face everyone knows.

Being hands-on at the start

My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is that you need to be there, solving problems in real time and protecting your originality. Stepping away from social media has sharpened my creativity, letting ideas grow without outside noise.

I've also learned to prioritize rest. After years of overwork and burnout, I've focused on routines, sleep, and healthier habits. Since December, I've lost over 30 pounds simply by getting enough sleep and cutting down on drinking. The shift has improved both my creativity and consistency.

Outside the restaurant, I unwind by rescuing animals — we have 10 pets at home. I also play the Chapman Stick and spend time PC gaming, which gives me a social life without the constant energy drain.

My partner and I plan to stay in Hong Kong. We've built a community here, and if we raise kids, I would want to do it in the city that finally felt like home.

Do you have a story about moving to Asia that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com.