Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Nguyen.
LESLIE NGUYEN- Founder and Creative Director, Bosscat Kitchen + Libations & Miss. Mini Donuts
Leslie Nguyen, A.K.A. “Miss Bosscat,” is Founder and Creative Director of Bosscat Kitchen + Libations. Her portfolio includes four restaurants: Bosscat locations in Newport Beach, Calif., and Houston; Ten Asian Bistro in Newport Beach; BCK: Kitchen & Cocktail Adventures in the Houston Heights; and Miss. Mini Donuts
With more than 20 years of experience in the service industry, Nguyen oversees all marketing efforts for the Bosscat brand. She studied graphic design in college and opened her first bar, the Daily Dose Sports Lounge, in Irvine, Calif., in 2009. She created Miss. Mini Donuts in 2010 and has been expanding her passion in making people smile.
Miss. Mini Donut first storefront is slated to open the end of Summer of 2019.
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?
Owning your own business has definitely not been a smooth road. There have been lots of struggles, but it’s the struggle that makes it worth it. My first big struggle was when my commercial broker stole $50,000 from me. I was 29 years old and clueless. He was a regular patron at a bar that I worked at, and I trusted him. When opening any business every single dollar matters, so losing that big chunk really hurt me and I almost lost my deal.
Luckily, I was able to overcome and recover. He still owes me this money to this day. I have cut it off as a lost, but who knows maybe he will do the right thing and pay me back. People take advantage all the time, especially if you are a female. Being a female in a man’s world in the industry has been a struggle as well. But that is a different story.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bosscat Kitchen+Libations and Miss. Mini Donuts – what should we know?
Bosscat Kitchen+Libations is a whiskey bar serving up American comfort food. We have an extensive whiskey menu and specialize in craft cocktails and local craft beers. We are most known for our beautiful whiskey room and weekend brunch! Brunch is my favorite day, and it has become one of our most popular times at Bosscat.
For brunch, we serve non-traditional food items like our Donut Burger and Fruity Pebbles French Toast. We create a more party atmosphere with DJ pumping tunes and mimosa flowing. Warning: it gets loud!
Things that set us apart is our Bosscat experience. When you dine with us, we want you to have an experience, not just a meal. Bosscat is the perfect blend of what you are looking for.
I am most proud of the culture that we have created for our staff. We want everyone to enjoy where they work and to have a place to call home. Our Bosscat family is very special and unique. Working in the restaurant industry you are working long hours and are around each other a lot, so we want to create a family culture. Miss. Mini Donuts specializes in making custom designer donuts for parties and events.
We can match anyone’s color, theme, and can custom brand our treats. We are known for cute bite-sized sweet treats. This has been a solo passion side hustle of mine for, and I am so excited to be growing it this year. We will be opening our first storefront late this Summer. Things that set us apart from others is our flavors and fancy toppings. We use the highest quality sprinkles and toppings to create our sweet treats.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I feel the most important part to my success is doing what I love. All of my projects have been doing things that I love and are obsessed about.
When you love what you are doing, you don’t mind putting in 18 hour days, and you don’t care about the money. You care about making it work, and you will do anything to make things happen.
Marketing the things that I love is easy because it came so natural for me to talk about my projects to people or to chat someone up about using me for my services.
I was not always trying to sell people on purpose, it just ends up that way. People always laugh saying that I am always in work mode. I don’t feel like it is work to me. This is my life, and it now becomes my lifestyle.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4647 MacArthur Blvd. Newport Beach, CA 92660 (Bosscat Kitchen+Libations)
4310 Westheimer Rd. Houston TX 77027 - Website: www.bosscatkitchen.com
- Phone: (949) 333-0917
- Email: [email protected]. [email protected]
- Instagram: @bosscatkitchen @missminidonuts. @tenbistro. @eatatbck
- Facebook: bosscatkitchen. missminidonuts eatatbck
- Twitter: bosscatkitchen. missminidonuts eatatbck
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