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[title]Nancy Cushman is no stranger to the challenges and triumphs that come with owning your own restaurant empire. As the co-founder of Cushman Concepts—the hospitality group behind critically-acclaimed O Ya and Time Out Market Boston’s very own Go Go Ya and Ms. Clucks Deluxe—she has spent her career blazing a trail marked by innovation, resilience and a passion for creating unforgettable dining experiences.
In honor of Women’s History Month, we sat down with Nancy to talk about the journey that led her to the helm of one of the most celebrated food and beverage portfolios in Boston and beyond. From risk-taking to her favorite way to relax and recharge, she shares her experiences and reflections on leadership, the importance of mentorship and her best advice for women looking to carve their own path in the industry.
Nancy, you and your husband Tim [Cushman] co-founded O Ya, which has become one of the most celebrated restaurants in Boston. What inspired you to open your first concept together?
What many people might not know is that I didn’t grow up in the restaurant business. I actually had spent my entire career working in advertising, but my husband and I had always had this dream of opening up our own restaurant someday. One of our first dates was sushi and sake, and that’s where this shared intrigued and love and passion for Japanese culture and cuisine began. At the time, he was a chef, doing some consulting for other restaurants, and I completely fell in love with sake, so much so that I got sake-certified. We started dreaming up the idea of O Ya, and eventually I took the plunge and left my advertising job and decided to take this hobby of mine and apply it practically to our new business. I really wanted O Ya to be a safe place for people to explore and taste and fall in love with sake the same way I did. Fast forward a year or so after opening, and our lives were changed forever when the New York Times named us the best new restaurant in the country.
I would have to imagine that receiving that sort of recognition must have been extraordinary. Do you remember getting the news, and what was that moment like?
It was surreal. That first year of O Ya was not easy. The bank was asking questions - it felt like we were starring in our own restaurant-themed season of Survivor. And then all of a sudden, we found out that Frank Bruni had included us on his list of top ten restaurants outside of NYC. I have chills—full-body chills—just reliving that moment for you right now. Every week, he would narrow the list down, and week after week there we were, until we were in the top two. I couldn’t believe it. And then, we were the last restaurant standing: we were number one. We couldn’t believe it. I remember telling Frank that I’d name our child after him if we ever had one. The phone started ringing off the hook, we had voicemails for reservations 20 parties deep. It was life-changing.
Speaking of awards and accolades, with so much emphasis on things like Michelin stars, what’s one measure of success that really matters to you?
First of all, we’ve been so fortunate to have been recognized with so many awards, but I have to give a shoutout to our staff because they’re the ones who make it all happen.
In terms of what matters most to us, though, it’s all about what’s on the plate or what’s in the glass. Whatever we do, whether it’s omakase at O Ya or one of our concepts at Time Out Market Boston, we strive to be best-in-class. Everything our guests see, touch, hear, feel, eat and drink: that’s important. Our goal is to bring people joy—to surprise and delight our guests.
We climb the mountain every day, and we know that we’re only as good as what we serve today and how we serve it. Success is not a destination—it’s a process of growth and learning and embracing those moments in time along the way. If I can put my head on my pillow at night and know that I’ve done the right thing by my staff and by my guests, despite the challenges or anything trying to pull me in a different direction otherwise, I’ve done the best that I can and I can feel proud of it.
Shifting gears a bit, I want to give you an opportunity to highlight a woman in your life who has been a role model or mentor for you. Is there any one person who has influenced your own journey?
My mom is probably my biggest role model and mentor. Since I was a young girl, she’s always reminded me that anything is possible if I set my mind to it. She’s also very removed from the restaurant business, so she’ll give me a lot of common sense advice or offer a lot of outside perspective that gives me something to think about. And I have to admit she’s usually right on the money.
I also look up to women like Jody Adams and Ana Sortun and so many of the other incredible, trail-blazing women who work here in Boston and beyond, as well as so many of my peers and the talented women who work with us at Cushman Concepts, across all levels. There is so much to learn and I’m so grateful to be surrounded by some of the best in the business.
Mentorship and a commitment to learning seems to be something that’s very important to you. If you could design a mentorship program for women in hospitality, what’s one thing you’d include that nobody else is doing?
I don’t think there’s enough of an emphasis on financial literacy for women. I think that being financially literate is so important and when it comes to helping women plan for a business there is lots of opportunity to help women understand the strategy behind building a business, climbing the ladder, what it takes to get a loan, etc.
I have learned so much in my career especially when it comes to knowing how to navigate the complexities of being a woman in this space, and if I can share that—especially what I’ve learned through my own failures—I can help other women see what’s around the corner and avoid the same pitfalls that I experienced. I mean, sure, it’s really powerful to look at someone’s success and to feel inspired by that, but it’s also important to realize that a lot of failure and setbacks happen before you get there. I like to think that I’ve learned the most from the worst. It’s ok to fail, as long as you fail forward and apply what you learn towards the next opportunity to do it better.
You said that you’ve learned a lot and that you have a lot to share with other women hoping to make a name for themselves in the industry. But what if you could go back in time and give one piece of advice to yourself?
That’s easy: I’d tell Nancy to trust her gut. There were so many times, even in my career in advertising, that I knew in my heart of hearts what I should have done, but I let my mind talk me into doing it the other way because I didn’t have the confidence I do now. And I realize that confidence comes with age. But at the same time, intuition is such a powerful thing, and there’s so much value in following it.
Outside of running restaurants, what’s something that helps you find joy and recharge?
I love yoga. I meditate every morning with the Calm app before I get out of bed. It sets the intention for my day. We also love to eat and drink for enjoyment. Of course in the back of our minds we’re always keeping an eye out for trends, etc. Tim is always cooking up new ideas at home, and testing things. And I love to travel. In fact, we’re long overdue for a trip back to Japan.
What is a risk in your career that you’ve taken that’s really paid off?
I quit my full-time, secure advertising job and dove head first into a business with no prior experience - how’s that for a risk? In all seriousness, though, it really was a big risk. I mean, there I was, signing a 100-page document that basically put my house on the line as collateral. My mom was ready for me to have to move back in with her if this all didn’t work out the way we wanted it to. But we believed in what it could be and I knew that I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t just try. What did I say about trusting your gut?
Last question, just for fun. If you had to build a restaurant concept inspired by a personal passion outside of food, what would it be?
You know when someone wins at the end of Family Feud? When they’re all jumping around and screaming? That pure, unfiltered excitement? I call it ‘game show joy.’ How often do you see people that excited by something? But it happens on game shows all the time. If I could create a concept that somehow causes people to experience that kind of ‘game show joy’ every time they come in, I’d do it in a heartbeat.