Burnout Isn’t a Badge: Ahu Hettema on Risk, Reinvention, and Building Restaurants That Work

Ahu Hettema didn’t hedge her bets—she burned the boats. No Plan B. No safety net. Just a belief that betting everything on one restaurant could rewrite her life. And it did. But not through stubbornness. Through adaptation. In this episode, Ahu breaks down how listening—really listening—to her guests saved her concept, why comfort matters more than cuisine, and how leadership based on likability, not fear, created a team that shows up like it’s opening night, every night. This is for every operator who’s done the math and knows the numbers don’t work unless the heart of the place does. For more on Istanbul Hawaii and her story, visit istanbulhawaii.com