Jennifer Ling and Trent Schneiter: From High Finance to Poke Austin
There’s a great back story to how Poke Austin on Brodie Lane got started.
Trent Schneiter worked in high finance where he first met Jennifer Ling, who hailed from China and had an MA in economics from UCLA. Trent had always enjoyed cooking and dining out. Jennifer also had family in the restaurant biz in San Francisco. And so one day after a particularly frustrating week (which can occur with some degree of regularity in the finance field), Jennifer asked Trent what he would choose if he could any have any career.
To his surprise Trent said he’d like to have a restaurant.
Jennifer went back to the Bay area and did some research. She returned and suggested to Trent that they open a Poke restaurant in Austin. Trent knew little about Poke but he trusted Jennifer’s instincts. And so a little over a year ago poke Austin opened across from Mighty Fine Burgers just off Brodie.
There are many high tech and financial types in Austin who have answered the siren’s call to open a restaurant. In retrospect, many now probably wish they hadn’t. The business seems fairly simple at first glance, but it most definitely is not.
I asked Trent how he was able to tie into the critical people-pleasing aspects of the restaurant business. He said for him that was the easiest part because he enjoyed meeting and serving new friends. Jennifer, according to Trent, was a terrific salesperson whose clients loved her. She was able to turn those skills toward the hospitality business and the byproduct of her background is evident in the atmosphere the two have created at Poke Austin. They clearly “get it” when it comes to the customer component of the restaurant.
Oh, and if I haven’t mentioned it, the Poke Bowls are pretty darn tasty, augmented by their homemade sauces. The two have agreed to cement their business partnership with a personal one as they will marry this summer.
Of all the restaurant back stories we’ve done this year. This is one of my favorites!
Poke Austin
5601 Brodie Ln #1200A
Austin, TX 78745
(512) 891-8368
