Noko Puts People Over Profit

“We have two goals at Noko: to change hospitality forever and to be the best to each other, our guests and our community. We feel like if we do those two things, it’s impossible to not be successful.” – Noko founder, Jon Murray

In an era when TV shows like “The Bear” are mainstream, it should come as no surprise that working in a restaurant often means navigating a toxic environment. High turnover rates, inconsistent leadership, a lack of benefits and unstable pay are common markers of the industry. For decades we have championed farm-to-table restaurants and sourcing hyper local vegetables. But what about the people in between the farm and table? When employees do not receive the care, support and stability they need from their employer, chances are they will have little capacity to provide guests with the above and beyond service that garners coveted five star reviews. Among locals in the industry, one Nashville restaurant is repeatedly touted for its healthy work environment and robust benefits.

Since their debut in 2023 I’ve only heard good things about Noko in East Nashville. Noko is not just an Asian-inspired, wood-fired restaurant with signature tuna crispy rice, wood-fired truffle oil edamame and an extensive sake list. It is a restaurant built on a mission “to create a happy, sustainable workplace where people thrive — with more time for friends and family, deeper human connection and the chance to explore the world through travel.” I sat down with founder, Jon Murray, to find out how and why Noko fulfills this mission.

I learned that in planning to open Noko, the partners(Jon, Dung “Junior” Vo and Wilson Brannock – former coworkers and seasoned industry professionals) began with the intention to create a healthy work environment for themselves and others. These guys have been through it. They have worked in every aspect of the hospitality industry: front-of-house, back-of-house, management and leadership roles, to now business owners. They love the work they do and are not ignorant of the brokenness of the industry. They aim to prove that it is possible to have a sustainable career in the restaurant industry, for both salaried and hourly employees. They begin by offering an unheard of benefits package to their employees:

• Free virtual therapy to all employees
• Local gym membership
• Monthly group yoga class
• 1 week of PTO every 6 months for employees who work 26 + hours/week
• 1 week of PTO every 3 months for management
• 50% coverage coverage of healthcare, dental and vision for hourly employees*
• 100 % coverage of healthcare, dental and vision for management
• Family meals before shifts
• 4 day work week

* According to the Affordable Care Act, if a business has 50+ full time employees, they must offer healthcare to employees who work a minimum of 30+ hrs/week. Noko founders choose to make health care accessible to even more employees than is required by law, extending to employees who work 26 hours/week.

Providing access to mental health care is especially important to Jon, who has personally experienced and believes in the power of therapy. Surely mental and emotional stability can’t hurt your work environment(or the guest experience!) He also mentions how important it is to offer paid time off to his employees. He loves to travel and has experienced how stressful it can be to take unpaid time off for a “relaxing” vacation or for any reason only to come home to bills and rent to pay after missing a week’s pay. 

Jon thinks of his employees like professional athletes and he wants to offer them the support they need to perform at their highest level. It’s not an easy job, and he knows this. Does it cost money? Of course. 5.5% of Noko’s 2025 sales went toward paying for employee benefits. However, taking care of staff has undeniable long term benefits. Jon quoted Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines and Records, “Take care of your employees and your employees will take care of your customers.” People who feel supported and cared for will be happier, more pleasant to work with and more able and willing to offer guests an excellent experience. In addition to having happy employees who stick around, a business with a lower turnover rate will also save time and money by not having to constantly train new employees. Noko maintains a turnover rate of 14.6%, while the industry standard is 70 – 80% according to the National Restaurant Association. 

For Noko, a big part of their success in creating a sustainable work environment comes down to the fact that the restaurant has received local support since day one and of course having investors who trust their vision. Jon is quick to say that offering a robust benefits package is not the only way to provide employees with a healthy work environment. “To be good to your people you don’t have to do all these things. Love and care is love and care, whether you get a week of paid time off or not.” Not all business owners have access to investors, but every employer has the choice to treat employees with empathy and respect, which in my humble opinion includes a living wage at the bare minimum. 

Restaurants are about food, but they are also about people – the people who grow the food, who create recipes, who cook and serve the food to the guests, who get to enjoy all of the time and care that is put into a single meal. They are about caring for and nurturing others. When we go out to eat we want to feel welcome, comfortable and safe. How can we expect these things for ourselves if this is not always a reality for the people making and serving our food? Jon is matter of fact. He tells me, “We have two goals at Noko: to change hospitality forever and to be the best to each other, our guests and our community. We feel like if we do those two things, it’s impossible to not be successful.” 

Are you an hourly employee at a great Nashville restaurant/bar/coffee shop/etc. with a healthy work environment? I’d love to hear from you at amanda.ediblenashville@gmail.com!

Visit Noko, Noko x Kase and soon to come, Noko Yaki.