6 Questions with Paul Arihara of DaaFamBam on Restaurant Tik Tok

Read Time: 3 min

By Sophie Braker

This article is from an interview with Paul Arihara. If you want to learn more about his and his family’s story, check out his videocast episode BSP376: Paul Arihara of DaaFamBam on Restaurant Tik Tok.

Paul Arihara has used bartending to travel around the United States. Now he’s on a new journey with his family on Restaurant Tik Tok. Paul, his wife Leina, and daughter Joli run the DaaFamBam, a love story where food is the supporting actor. Read below to learn more about his philosophy. 

First restaurant job?

It was McDonalds in El Cajon, San Diego. That was 1989. I worked for $4.25 an hour. It was humbling. I’ll tell you that much. Working at McDonalds in the 80s; that was not a fun job but it was an entry job. It got me into the restaurant world. It didn’t teach me anything back then but it taught me now. I’m actually happy I experienced that. 

What’s a food / drink you always have on hand at home?

Long Drink. It’s from Finland. It's its own category. I worked at six breweries. I used to drink beer all the time. I wanted to lose weight and not drink so much. So I started getting into seltzers. I drank every seltzer you could think of. I got into this drink called Long Drink. It’s really really good. We just picked up a bottle. There’s a grocery outlet right next to us that’s always got random stuff. Here’s the kicker. My wife Leina just got hired by them. We were actually trying it for about a month before she got hired. Because we don’t buy the same stuff; we rotate around and try different stuff. Legitimately I really like drinking it. 

Best and worst thing about being a bartender? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it?

We beat Denver (in basketball). We’re still in the playoffs. I bartend right in front of the Chase Center. The worst thing about it is dealing with people who are drunk and fighting. Those are the worst, dealing with fighting customers. The job itself isn’t that hard. It’s dealing with the aftermath. 

The best thing? Flexibility. I’ve lived all over the country. New York, Miami, Hawaii, San Diego. It’s a job, especially today, you can quit and find another job in thirty minutes. Just the flexibility, the experience. The pros way outweigh the cons. It’s great to meet people from all different types of walks. Being able to use the internet to find new jobs. I’m forty seven. I started using the internet when I was twenty eight, almost thirty. So when the internet came around, I was going around the country and finding jobs on the internet. You bartend? Do you want to start working tomorrow? Awesome. 

Would you want your daughter to go into the industry?

Oh, she already has. Oh yeah yeah. When she was fifteen, I worked at Half Moon Bakery down the street. They hire high school students, start them out as bussers and hosts. She’s thinking about culinary school when she graduates. She’s a straight A student, Honor Roll, does jujitsu, and loves to cook. She likes the culinary side. For finances, I want her to work in the front of the house. There’s a few things she’s thinking about. I very much want her to work in hospitality, front of the house, but knowing her she’ll end up in the back. 

What’s one thing you wish more people knew about the greater bay area (not just San Francisco), Oakland food scene?

I’m not in Oakland. I’m across from them. Oakland’s got an amazing food scene that’s popping off right now. They have a lot of Cambodian food. They have a lot of food over there. Food became so expensive to operate in San Francisco, permitting and everything. Oakland’s just became this hub right now. A lot of people are moving there too. The whole neighborhood is changing. A lot of chefs are going there. A lot of people are becoming chefs too. Many people in Oakland are coming from ethnic backgrounds so you’re seeing a lot of people using their mom’s recipes, their grandparent’s recipes. You’re seeing that probably more than anywhere. It’s pretty cool. 

What’s a Bay Area spot crushing it on social media?

There’s two that I like. One is Gao Viet Kitchen. I’m actually going to go help him open his restaurant. I found him on social media and I liked him so much. Once the Warrior’s season is over then my job goes into hibernation. He happens to own a few Vietnamese restaurants. He has an upper end Vietnamese restaurant now with a full cocktail bar. He’s going to be opening up a San Francisco location in the Outer Sunset. In July, I’m going to go help him open that up. It’s going to be a nightmare because there’s no staff. It’s going to be a skeleton crew. That’s part of the experience. He’s done a great job. I’ve loved his social media and his personality. 

Lumpia Company out in Oakland. My buddy Alex Retodo - really cool guy. Alex goes out and is always showing his face. He’s corny but I love it though. He’s definitely not a paid actor. But I love watching him because he doesn’t care. He goes out there. He has fun. I love watching his stuff. 

33 years working in the industry from Dishwasher to Bartender in 8 Cities and 4 states! Let’s Go!