Recipe for Success

About Town talks to CEO of Maki Fresh and Jinsei Sushi, John Cassimus.

From J-Rag to Zoe’s and now with Jinsei and Maki Fresh, it seems like you have the Midas touch. What makes a successful entrepreneur?

Simply put, it takes an appetite for risk and the ability to deal with basically gambling your financial future away on a daily basis. If you don’t have endless energy along with a canny knack to make gut decisions from deep inside that most of the time end up being correct, forget about it and keep your job!

You’re not in town much, but when you are where do you like to go out in Birmingham?

I always love Innisfree for late-night fun.

Outside of Jinsei and Maki Fresh, what are some of your other favorite restaurants in Birmingham?

I love to sit at the chef’s counter at Hot N Hot Fish Club. Café Bottega has been a favorite since it opened. I love any French bistro, so Chez Fon Fon is a favorite. Taste of Thailand for Thai. Golden Rule Irondale for barbeque. Jim Davenport’s for pizza.

I am assuming your mother (Zoe) was a big influence on your culinary interest?

When I was a young boy my mother cooked dinner every night. I loved to watch her and help anyway I could. Mom inspires me every time I cook. I always think about her and what she would do. We cook without recipes and by taste. No matter what I cook, hers always tastes better, except sushi. I dominate in that arena.

The idea of eating healthier seems to have definitely caught on. How have Jinsei and Maki Fresh benefited from this trend?

I grew up eating really healthy. My grandmother taught my mom about eating healthy. Lots of olive oil, cheeses, chicken, fish and fresh greens. Maki Fresh and Jinsei are based on Japanese cuisine, which follows a lot of the same principles as Mediterranean food. Fresh fish, greens etc. People in our demographic like to eat healthy, so it works.

You’re still a young guy who’s already accomplished a lot. What are some career goals you have left?

I want to build Maki Fresh into a national brand. Afterward, I want to spend most of my time working for the Cassimus Foundation, a nonprofit I started in 2007. We simply want to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.

Tell us about the Cassimus Foundation?

I’m committed to making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. That can come in many different forms. We simply want to find people in need and help them on a case-by-case basis. I have been blessed in so many ways and want to share as much as possible.

Your latest project is a hunting club you started in south Alabama.

As a child I dreamed about being a cowboy, riding a horse everywhere, carrying a gun on my hip and living on a farm. So in 2007 after Zoe’s sold, I bought an old plantation in southeast Alabama and just finished an 18-month construction project. I built a mini compound for friends and family. We have a deer-breeding facility where we grow superior genetic deer. Most don’t know it but deer breeding is a billion dollar industry in the U.S. I am six miles from a paved road and have no light pollution or noise pollution. It is like being on the moon. Simply put, it is the most peaceful place I have ever been. I’m 35 miles from a grocery store. I hunt 90 days a year and cherish every minute.

Finally, you played football at Alabama. How do you compare those Alabama teams you played for in the late 80s to now?

Football is football. Same rules, same game, same incredible rivalries. The difference is that the athletes are bigger, faster and stronger. Alabama football has always been about dominating and winning championships.

John Cassimus was the past CEO of Zoe’s Kitchen and is currently serving as the CEO of Maki Fresh, LLC and Jinsei Sushi, LLC, along with serving on the advisory boards of The University of Alabama, Samford University and the University of Mississippi business schools. John is the founder of the Cassimus Family Foundation, a nonprofit located in Birmingham. As a highly sought after public speaker he usually gives 15 to 20 speeches a year. He also serves as executive director of Sawtooth Plantation, an exclusive mini-resort for hunting and family vacations. He is an instrument rated pilot. John enjoys hunting, traveling, cooking and snowboarding.