Mr. East Kitchen is a fast casual Vietnamese eatery in the SOMA district of San Francisco. They serve lunch, dinner, breakfast on the weekends, and they cater all over the city. “Our menu is a modern adaptation of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. For example, we serve Banh Mis on Ciabatta rather than traditional bread. We have a simplified inventory so that each ingredient can be mixed and matched with others to create many kinds of dishes,” said Victor. For their signature bowl, the menu allows customers to choose a main dish, such as pho, garlic noodles, or rice, and a protein to go with it.

 

Victor is originally from Thailand and came to the Bay Area five years ago.  He has a background in breakfast food, and his partner Ken has a background in Vietnamese food. “After we met through a mutual friend and got to know each other, we realized that we had similar directions and decided to team up,” said Victor.

 

Victor and Ken started Mr. East Kitchen in August 2018 after beginning the planning process in December 2017.  They used the loan they received from Main Street Launch as working capital.

 

“The most challenging part of starting the business was working with contractors and architects. Something that we planned in advance to take six months ends up taking two to three months extra. Running and owning a food business is challenging, especially dealing with people. But my favorite part is that I’m learning a lot each day and getting to know my partner better,” said Victor.

 

Click here to check out Mr. East’s website and menu.

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