Today we’d like to introduce you to John Nguyen.
John, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
We started as a food truck in September 2013 and we were the first Asian inspired cook on board food truck licensed in Chicago. I didn’t have a culinary or business background but had a love for street food and wanted to bring the food I grew up with to the streets of Chicago. Prior to this, I was working in Chicago’s nightlife industry and also owned Akin, a shoe boutique working alongside Nike and Jordan Brand. Although these were great experiences, I was looking for a venture on my own. The food truck was the first project I took on by myself with the help and support of my wife, family, and friends. I literally bought a truck on Craigslist, did my research and built the truck from the ground up. Since then, we have built a large following for our food and have vended at countless events, corporate gatherings, and private parties. It has brought us to places and given us experiences that we would have never had otherwise. Since then, we have added a second food truck in the summer of 2017 and recently, opened our first brick and mortar in the Financial District. We are anticipating our busiest summer season yet.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been struggles along the way. Since we started at the beginning of this industry in Chicago, there has been a lot of changes and adjustments we have had to make. One of the major obstacles we faced as the industry grew was dealing with the city’s regulations on parking and vending. However, we have managed to adapt and continue to run a successful business for 5 years.
Being in the food industry and having your own business has its own struggles as well. I take pride in being a perfectionist with everything I do and want to ensure that people’s experience with our food and business is a memorable one. Because of this, Lunchbox is always on my mind. Even though it has taken a lot of work, I am proud of the business I’ve built and still find satisfaction in being able to share the food I love with others.
Chicago Lunchbox – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Of course, our food comes first. We specialize in taking traditional Asian dishes, such as the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, and serving it with options that are not found anywhere else in the city. For example, it can be served the traditional way with Vietnamese grilled pork, but you can also do a mash-up with dishes like Korean BBQ Beef, Thai Basil Chicken, and Filipino Longanisa. We also serve a customer favorite called the Fire Rangoon, which we like to call our Asian Jalapeno Popper. Like most rangoons, they have a cream cheese base, but with the added kick of jalapenos and sriracha sauce. Simply addictive!
In addition to the great food, what sets us apart is that coming to our food truck or restaurant is an experience. From the designs of our logo, menu, apparel, truck, and restaurant to our music playlist, we want our customers to feel welcomed and part of our family when they eat with us. Our business is built on friends and family sharing a meal and enjoying time together, so we want that to be communicated to people who visit us. Basically, we just want everyone to have fun and leave happy.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment has to be opening the brick and mortar. When I first started this business, I was confident, but I knew nothing was guaranteed. I was willing to take the risk anyway and have continued to do so in order to expand my business. We have come a long way and have learned a lot in the process. Opening doors to my first restaurant is a testament to that.
Contact Info:
- Address: 400 S Financial Pl
- Website: www.chicagolunchbox.com
- Phone: 773-696-0144
- Email: chicagolunchbox@gmail.com
- Instagram: @chicagolunchbox
- Facebook: @chicagolunchbox
- Twitter: @chicagolunchbox
- Yelp: @chicagolunchbox
Image Credit:
@chicagolunchbox, @royalmindset, Zach Brake Photography
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