I use TripAdvisor to find places to eat when traveling. Crowdsourcing your restaurant decision making gets good eats at good prices.
This week in Hội An, Vietnam, I came across a restaurant called ‘Home Kitchen’. The food was fresh and tasty; consistent with the 5-star reviews. However, their real point of difference is their owner, Bông, a friendly woman in her late-thirties. I loved how she took the time to come to our table and share her story with us.
Bông was born here in Hội An, and always had a dream to start her own restaurant. She worked for 11 years at another local eatery to save the money needed to start Home Kitchen; a restaurant focusing on Hội An delicacies and home-style Vietnamese dishes.
Bông talked joyfully about hiring her six neighbours, all of whom she grew up with. She spoke with pride about paying them an above average salary, and providing them with a safe and secure job. And we saw evidence of this too; the open kitchen allows guests to see the staff smiling and laughing as they prepare the food.
We often hear about people starting businesses for the freedom, autonomy, and financial upside. But Bông’s goal is to also provide meaningful and fair employment to those close to her. By making sacrifices over 11 years to pursue her dream, she’s changing the game for those in her neighbourhood and community.
Every business has a founding story, and it was a real pleasure to learn of Bông’s this week.