Zach Tolen didn’t just work in a restaurant—the restaurant raised him.

In this episode of Pursue Vegas, we sit down with the man behind Vanilla Rice Hibachi to talk about what it really takes to go from scrubbing dishes at 15 to owning one of the most hyped hibachi spots in Las Vegas.

“Even on your worst days as an entrepreneur, you’re still living your dreams,” he says.

Zach’s journey isn’t polished. It’s raw, real, and built from chaos. From food truck breakdowns to bootstrapping a brand people now line up for, he shares how he turned a side hustle into a full-blown movement. Spoiler: it wasn’t luck—it was grit, consistency, and showing up like your name’s on the building.

We dive into:

• What it means to evolve from cook to CEO
• Why branding and social media aren’t optional in the Vegas food game
• How he’s laying the foundation to franchise like the greats—Chipotle, Chick-fil-A style “I still hop on the grill from time to time, but I want to be a businessman, not just a cook.”

If you're in the trenches of building something—or trying to find the courage to start—this one’s your blueprint. Hustle is the entry ticket. Staying power is the strategy.

What You’ll Take Away:

• Consistency builds trust. In food and business—people come back when they know what to expect.
• Systems = Freedom. Zach went from chaos to clarity with processes that let him scale.
• Hype fades. Hustle doesn’t. Building a brand takes more than a logo—it takes a long game.
• Vegas rewards bold. Your brand better talk loud and hit hard if you want attention.
• You don’t need it all figured out. You just need to start.

Resources:

• Vanilla Rice Hibachi
• Follow on IG: @vanillaricelv
• Behind-the-scenes: @realvanillarice

Hit play and learn from someone who’s not just chasing a dream—he’s cooking it up daily, with a spatula in one hand and a scaling plan in the other.

Thanks for tuning in to The Pursue Vegas Podcast!