Meet Soozee Nguyen of The Wild Chive in Long Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Soozee Nguyen.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Soozee. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I think I was born an entrepreneur. My first business was at five years old where I hustled custom friendship bracelets to classmates. My side gig was slinging lollipops door-to-door until my parents found out and shut it down.

Growing up, my parents showed their affection for me through food. My mother was a traditional Vietnamese cook and my father was notorious for coloring outside the lines. And, me? Well, I loved eating.

Fast forward to 19 years old, on a quest for self-discovery and craving new surroundings, I moved from Texas to California. My love for music led me to becoming a DJ for over 15 years. Then, my love for art and working with my hands led me to pursue a career in hair artistry. Throughout this time, I found myself missing my parent’s food, which inspired me to learn how to cook.

I remember calling my mom all the time for her recipes. “A pinch of this, a pinch of that,” she would say. Her traditional foundation gave me the platform to experiment, much like how my dad would when they cooked together. Then one day it all clicked. I really loved cooking!

This realization reignited the entrepreneur in me and got the turntables in my head spinning. As luck would have it, the opportunity to work for a newly opened cafe in New York presented itself when I got a call from a friend.

Going to culinary school was not an option for me financially, so I ended up working my way through the kitchens of New York City instead. Looking back, it was the best education I could have asked for. I got to experience every restaurant position with my humble beginnings as a busser, host, and server to working my way up to kitchen manager and executive chef at Champ’s Diner, followed by The Black Flamingo.

Equipped with my new experience, and an ambition to launch something of my own, I decided to move back home to Long Beach, California where The Wild Chive would soon be born. What began as a tiny vegan pop-up offering handcrafted brunches at Portfolio Coffeehouse, vegan festivals, MADE By Millworks, and Marina Farmer’s Market is now on its way to opening a brick-and-mortar to accommodate our tremendous growth.

I guess you could say The Wild Chive has been three years running, but nine years in the making.

I’m truly grateful for my team, all our friends, family, and community who’ve shown enormous support and love to get us here. Special thank you to my Wild Chive family who’ve helped bring my vision to life; my business partner Darren, my Operations Manager and right hand Wendy Sanchez, and my Brand Strategist, Xyla Gata, who has been with me from the beginning.

We’re very excited to welcome you into our home sweet home come Fall!

Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth, bumpy, under construction, watch for falling rocks, you name it. It’s been (and still is) quite the adventure.

Being a pop-up restaurant is our biggest challenge. We don’t have the luxury of being able to set operational efficiencies like we would in a more permanent space. Everything is touch and go.

Luckily, our community has been there to back us up. We’ve met some amazing people along the way and our family keeps growing. So, it can be tough but it’s worth it.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Wild Chive – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a long-beach based pop-up and soon-to-be brick-and-mortar restaurant specializing in handcrafted, soulful vegan cuisine. We’re known for our Sunday Vegan Brunches, and our authentic take on traditional and International cuisines. The spirit of The Wild Chive is a story of personal identity that celebrates roots and evolutionary heritage and takes shape with the community. In short, we are family time around the dinner table.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love how vibrant this city is. It supports our local small businesses, empowers women, our LGBTQ community, and cultural diversity—all of which are very important to me. There’s so much heart, strength, and creativity here, and I’m so proud to call it home. My least favorite? Parking.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thewildchive.com
• Phone: 562-682-8388
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @thewildchive
• Facebook: facebook.com/thewildchive
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-wild-chive-long-beach?osq=the+wild+chive

Image Credit:
@theboundlessbanana

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