In the years after college, Vincent Woo never expected to live near Nashua – or work in the restaurant business.

Woo, a Harvard graduate, began his career in Boston as an auditor for accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Today, Woo and his wife, Ivy, run one of Nashua’s most successful restaurants: You You Japanese Bistro. The
restaurant, which opened in 1997, offers sushi and other Japanese, Korean and Thai dishes.

Woo, 60, grew up in Hong Kong, China. As a child, an American marine lieutenant sponsored him as a godson, and that relationship helped Woo attend some of the area’s best colonial prep schools. Because of that experience, Woo has made it a priority to give back to veteran’s groups.

And it shows.

The Woos are known for their charity work, including a biannual golf tournament that benefits veterans. Proceeds from the first tournament, in 2011, went to the New Hampshire Chapter of the Disabled American Veterans organization. They have gone to other veterans groups since then. Woo said in 2015, they’d like to support a women’s veterans group.

Woo’s family moved to California when he was 16, and he became the only family member to move to the East Coast when he left for college.

During college, Woo learned how a kitchen operates by working as a dishwasher. So, when he was ready to leave the auditing job, a group of investors asked him if he would want to run his own restaurant.

“They didn’t tell me where the restaurant was located,” said Woo, who assumed he’d be working somewhere near Boston.

It turned out, that restaurant was in Nashua. The year was 1984, and the restaurant was Ming Garden on the Daniel Webster Highway. Woo ran the restaurant until 1996 when he realized it was time to move on to the next venture.

“After doing a buffet for 10 years, you’re kind of ready for something else,” he said.

The Woos, who live in Hollis now, spend a lot of time paying attention to restaurant trends. When they opened You You, they suspected that modern-style sushi was becoming trendy. Today, they travel often to Boston and New York to keep up with foods trends in the major cities. Vincent Woo also drives to Boston several times a week to pick up fresh seafood for the restaurant.

Woo credits his wife with making the restaurant a success.

“Her knowledge of the kitchen has really made the restaurant what it today,” he said. “She plans the menu and does the specials.”

Woo is humble on other fronts, too. He downplays the Harvard education, and he credits his loyal customers with coming up with suggestions that have improved the restaurant over the years.

Taking the leap from auditing to restaurant work didn’t come without its difficulties, but Woo has figured it out after 30 years.

“I had to relearn a lot of things. I had to learn how to manage people,” he said. “In the restaurant business, you really have to show that you know your stuff, not just play office politics. People are testing you every day.”