Vietnamese couple started a business selling sticky rice and sweet soup by bicycle, now have 4 restaurants in Japan

2 years of hard work cycling to sell sticky rice and sweet soup

Mr. Mac Duc Manh (33 years old, from Hai Duong) is currently living and working in Tokyo (Japan). In 2013, after graduating from Thuy Loi University, he decided to go to Japan to find a new direction.

He studied and worked at the same time, and fate brought him to meet Ms. Nguyen Ngan Nhi. They became husband and wife in 2015. At that time, there were very few Vietnamese restaurants in Japan, so they both intended to start a business selling Northern dishes. Initially, he intended to make famous dishes such as pho, vermicelli, etc. However, due to the long transportation distance, the cost of train tickets, and the cold food when delivered to customers, that idea was temporarily put on hold.

Vợ chồng Việt khởi nghiệp từ hàng xôi chè rong đến 4 quán ăn Việt ở Nhật - Ảnh 1. — Mr. Manh used to ride his bike to sell sticky rice and sweet soup.

"When we returned to Vietnam to hold our wedding, my wife and I met a relative who had a secret recipe for making sweet soup, so we learned more. The ingredients for making sweet soup are easy to find and can be preserved for 2-3 days, so we brought beans from our hometown to Japan. After a while, we decided to try cooking it and invited people around us to try it, everyone praised it as delicious," he recalled.

They started posting on Vietnamese community groups in Japan on Facebook, unexpectedly receiving a lot of support from everyone. They only sell 2-3 times a week because they still have their main job.

Vợ chồng Việt khởi nghiệp từ hàng xôi chè rong đến 4 quán ăn Việt ở Nhật - Ảnh 2. — Vietnamese dishes are chosen by many diners in Japan.

"At first, I sold 80-100 cups a day. In Japan, people go to work by train and only arrive 5 minutes before the train leaves, so they have to wait for delivery. I thought that if I kept selling online like that, I wouldn't make much money. So I decided to take the tea to an empty lot near the train station to sell. At first, I was hesitant. Seeing Vietnamese customers holding cups of tea happily because they hadn't had it for years, I had more motivation," he said.

Vợ chồng Việt khởi nghiệp từ hàng xôi chè rong đến 4 quán ăn Việt ở Nhật - Ảnh 3. — Currently, he and his wife have 4 Vietnamese restaurants in Japan.

At that time, the customers were mainly Vietnamese. When selling at the station, he choked on cigarette smoke and had to return for 10-15 minutes before continuing to sell. Every day, regardless of rain or shine, wind or cold, he regularly brought sweet soup to the station to sell. After selling sweet soup at the station for 6 months, Manh and his wife started selling sticky rice and sweet soup. After 2 years of diligently cycling to sell sticky rice and sweet soup at the station, in 2017, he opened his first shop in Tokyo.

NHK TV channel once came to the recording studio

He came to Japan as a student so his visa was short so renting a house was difficult. At first, he sold sticky rice, sweet soup, fried spring rolls, fried spring rolls, grilled pork vermicelli, and then expanded the menu to include many other Vietnamese dishes.

During the holidays when there are many customers, the couple has to wash dishes until 4am. At 7am the next morning, they go to the market to buy ingredients. After a year and a half of business, Mr. Manh sponsored a Vietnamese chef to come to Japan. In the third year, they opened 2 more restaurants. By 2022, they had 4 Vietnamese restaurants in Tokyo.

Vợ chồng Việt khởi nghiệp từ hàng xôi chè rong đến 4 quán ăn Việt ở Nhật - Ảnh 4. — Mr. Manh takes care of every dish at the restaurant.

"Everyone supported us a lot. A few years ago, poet Nguyen Nhat Anh visited Japan. At that time, not only Vietnamese customers but also tourists from Australia and the US also visited the restaurant to enjoy. In February 2023, NHK TV channel came to the restaurant to film, which helped the restaurant become more known to more people," he said.

Vợ chồng Việt khởi nghiệp từ hàng xôi chè rong đến 4 quán ăn Việt ở Nhật - Ảnh 5. — The shop sells banh cuon and many other Vietnamese dishes.

Ms. Nhi said that, looking back at the process of starting a business, she is also proud of the achievements. The couple hopes that the business will grow and gain more customers. Both always encourage each other to have a better life and future for their children.

Vợ chồng Việt khởi nghiệp từ hàng xôi chè rong đến 4 quán ăn Việt ở Nhật - Ảnh 6. — Mr. Manh prepares sweet soup and sticky rice to suit the taste of Japanese diners.

"In the past, when I was still in school, I had to wake up early every morning to go to school and come back quickly in the afternoon to prepare the goods to sell. My husband and I were always in a hurry, working hard on rainy days as well as sunny days, but luckily we had customers' support. After the Covid-19 pandemic, customers have decreased compared to before, so my husband and I are adding a few other dishes to the menu to improve business," the wife confided.