Independent Operators
Chefs team up on Viet-Cajun food truck endeavor
One of the newest food trucks in Houston, Texas is the Saigon House Food Truck built from a partnership between Saigon House restaurant Chef Tony Nguyen and Chef Matt Mui, founder of the Muiishi Makirritos food truck. The duo share insight on how it all came about.
August 24, 2020 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
Chef Matt Mui, of food truck Muiishi Makirritos, and Chef Tony "TJ" Nguyen, of Saigon House restaurant, have teamed up to launch the Saigon House Food Truck, a roving version of the Viet-Cajun brick-and-mortar restaurant in Houston, Texas.
If Nyguyn looks familiar to those who aren't brick-and-mortar customers it's because he was recently a contestant on Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay show.
Saigon House is well-known for its "H-town Bang" crawfish and Viet-Tex brisket pho. In the following interview the partners share insight on the collaboration and food truck strategy, as well as lessons learned and tips for a successful food truck venture.
Q. Is this truck your/the brand's first or one in a fleet?
A. First one of the fleet but we have a restaurant, Saigon House.
Q. What prompted you to start a food truck?
A. I owned one before and now I am partnered with a friend and rebranded his truck to our restaurant.
Q Why did you choose the cuisine?
A. Viet-Cajun has been a part of our lives forever. We eat Viet-Cajun crawfish at least three times a week.
Q. Do you make all the food on the truck or do you use home-based kitchen or commissary space?
A. All our food is prep at a restaurant.
Q. What's the best part of being a food truck operator?
A. We love interacting with our guests and being a food truck allows more engagement.
Q. What's the worst part of operating a food truck?
A. The heat.
Q. What lessons have you learned since launching the truck?
A. Learn how to work in the heat.
Q. Is there anything you would have done differently at the start?
A. We are both experienced operators separately so now we come together with our experiences. This is our redo.
Q. Any tips/advice to others thinking of launching a food truck?
A. Work on a truck for a full year. If you can handle it open a truck.
Q. What kind of event and bookings do you do?
A. All. We love caterings. Please hit us upat Saigonhousefood.com.
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