Today we’d like to introduce you to Dao Nguyen.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Entering our junior year in college, we were left with the dilemma of continuing to follow through with our academic pursuit and journey down a safe albeit mundane path, or adventure into the unknown and vulnerable arena of creating and running our own business. We chose the latter, obviously, but not before completing our degrees, handing it to our parents, and never looking back. In those final two years, while both working and attending class full-time, we spent our nights researching and developing the food menu. Much of the basis of the menu were based on traditional recipes Kim and I grew up on. The challenge was to make it palatable to unfamiliar taste buds, while also retaining the authenticity of the recipes, all in a convenient to eat form.
To say we’ve made some mistakes along the way would be an understatement. The entire two years spent on R&D were basically scrapped and improvised within the first week of opening. We simply did not know what we were doing, but we worked tirelessly trying to fix a sinking ship. Every single day, we discussed what were the biggest mistakes, and focused intently on addressing those issues.
I truly believe that it was that drive to endlessly improve, tirelessly innovate, and shamelessly admit our faults that led us to where we are today.
Has it been a smooth road?
Running any business is difficult, but owning a restaurant is probably the hardest among them. Although the list can be exhaustive, for us, the biggest challenges were employee management and workflow. We realized early on that regardless of how many customers we serve a day, we could not make money unless we had an efficient workflow. That meant having to constantly streamline our process, review vendors and make purchases accordingly. The right employees will return more than their worth in gold, but the challenge is to find those employees, and harder yet, to figure out how to retain them on a tight profit margin.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lotus Cafe & Banh Mi Sandwiches – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a Vietnamese restaurant specializing in delivering healthy cooked to order food, quickly and conveniently. We stand apart not only because of the quality of the food, but the ability to deliver that promise consistently, and with the best customer service possible. Customers come back because we treat them like family, and they know that we’ll always be there for anything they need.
Lotus is known for their banh mi sandwiches served on daily baked baguettes, intensely flavorful and unique meats that cannot be found anywhere in the city. There are other banh mi shops, but none that deliver the freshness that Lotus promises.
We are most proud of the way Lotus is operated. We have a great work culture, and haven’t lost a full-time employee in years. We treat workers and customers alike, with respect and dignity. We have almost zero food wastage, as our cook to order process prevents any meats from sitting out longer than a few minutes before serving. Efficiency is our addiction, and one day, we hope to achieve that goal.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Like most Chicagoans, we like to complain about our city, mostly the high taxes and those darn parking tickets. But one trip to any other place in the US and we start to miss Chicago. The food, the diverse culture, the city skyline, the people; there is no other place like Chicago.
Contact Info:
- Address: 719 W. Maxwell St. Chicago IL, 60607
- Website: lotusbanhmi.com
- Phone: 312-733-7595
- Email: hello@lotusbanhmi.com
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
