Army Veteran and Daughter Find Fulfillment Feeding Veterans at West LA VA Canteen
Don Pak had always dreamed of being in the military. His father was a police officer in their home country of Korea, and after his father passed away, Don sought to serve.
After coming to the U.S., he joined the Army, where he served as an infantryman. “I felt so comfortable,” he said of his experience in the service. “Everybody was my friend. I really enjoyed it.”
Don went on to start a family and become a successful entrepreneur, but now, decades later, Don has found that camaraderie again – with his daughter Sarah PakChong by his side – at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
Don and Sarah work together running Ribs USA, the newest addition to Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) in Building 500. After Don dealt with a cancer diagnosis, Sarah wanted to be closer to him, and the two are now a team with a shared love of serving Veterans.
“I feel like I’ve come back home here,” said Don. “Most of the people here are Veterans; it feels like my family.”
From Patient to Purveyor
After leaving the Army in 1987, Don went on to pursue a career as an entrepreneur. He found success at several different ventures before falling on some hard times during the recession.
Then, in 2013, a banker friend suggested Don try the restaurant business, and offered to assist with a loan. “We had been working together for 30 years and he wanted to help,” said Don.
Don took the leap and bought Ribs USA, a BBQ restaurant in Burbank. He kept the restaurant’s original recipes that date back to the 1980s and found a following thanks to his hard work and commitment to quality ingredients.
With some disabilities related to his time in the service, Don was also a long-time patient of the West LA VA Medical Center. He would often stop by the canteen and grab some food or a drink. One day, he met Canteen Chief Kyle Jewell, and the two started talking. Don told him about Ribs USA and shared that he was a Veteran.
“Don is very friendly, very energetic and has a good positive attitude which is really important,” said Jewell of their meeting.
While there weren’t any open spots for new businesses in the canteen at the time, Jewell kept Don in mind. When a slot opened up several months later, he immediately reached out to Don.
Don jumped at the chance to bring Ribs USA to a Veteran audience. “I was so happy,” he said.
Father Daughter Duo
In December 2021, Don underwent treatment for prostate cancer. Over the years some distance had grown between himself and Sarah as both were on different paths in life. But Don’s illness led his daughter to want to be closer to him, and when the opportunity arose at the canteen – she couldn’t wait to work alongside him.
“My grandma and my dad have always loved ribs and BBQ,” said Sarah. “My grandma was 99 when she passed away, and as soon as she did, this opportunity came into our lap. She made this happen.”
Sarah, who has a degree in psychology and social behavior from UC Irvine, built teams for several e-commerce start-ups and sold multiple brick-and-mortar businesses before taking a break to raise her children.
She said working with VCS was the perfect opportunity to utilize her skills while staying close to her dad – who is now in remission – and serving Veterans. She leads the team at the VCS location, while her dad goes back and forth between VCS and the Ribs USA location in Burbank.
“Being here makes me happy,” she said. “I serve people. And while money comes and goes, the everyday feeling of serving and feeding people – especially Veterans – just feels more fulfilling.”
Sarah also added that as a single mom going through a separation, the business has allowed her to gain independence while also being there for her children. “The environment the VA provides, the hours, the amazing people – it’s perfect for a working mom,” she said.
Sarah describes her dad as extraordinarily hard working and a “business genius.”
“We butt heads because we’re father and daughter. But knowing we’re blood and he’s my dad and I’m his daughter, we have a different kind of trust.”
‘An Opportunity to Feed People’
When Ribs USA opened at the canteen in July, they joined the other eateries on site: Bliss Juice Bar; Westwood One, which serves entrées and sides; Family Fusion, which serves Mexican cuisine; and Hissho Sushi.
“My dad, because he feels so close to his fellow Veterans, when we opened this business we made sure our prices matched the demographics of the patients,” Sarah said. “He didn’t look at is as an opportunity to make a profit, he looked at it as an opportunity to feed people.”
Jewell said the addition of Ribs USA has helped drive more foot traffic to the canteen without taking business away from any of the other food options. “The response has been great,” he said.
In the future Don hopes to help mentor other Veterans who might be interested in learning about business. “It’s my dream; I want to share my experience with my friends in the military,” he said.
Sarah said she and her dad love being with VCS, calling it a “family.” She added that her brother is also a pilot in the Air Force, so working with VA feels like it was meant to be.
“My grandma loved bringing us together with food,” said Sarah. “And she brought my dad and I together again by showing us the success and fulfillment we could get by being here at the VA hospital canteen.”