Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Nguyen.
Brian, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Many people don’t know but “B Nutritious” came from my name “Brian Nguyen”, kinda funny but it was just one of those things that popped up when I was trying to figure out a business name.
The whole journey of my business actually started from my parents’ kitchen (2014). It was all just an idea to make some additional income on top of my insurance career. I originally started off as just a meal prep service. Cooking from home and making deliveries to homes and businesses. Started with a few friends, then friends of friends, then next thing you know I was delivering all over LA county. In the beginning of it all, I had to prep, cook, clean, and deliver. It was a one man team for a few months. Then became a team of 3, then up to 10. Keep in mind this was all done at home. Yeah, it’s kinda one of those cliché business stories.
So business was doing really well and I know in order to grow, a brick and mortar is a must. So with all the money I made/saved with B Nutritious and my insurance business, I invested everything I had into B Nutritious El Monte.
I wanted to bring a different concept to the table. Being able to get meal prep food hot is unheard of. So I decided to bring that concept out into the restaurant. So we were able to provide a one stop shop. We offered dine in, take out, delivery, meal prep, and catering. There are also some nice Asian fusion touches to the menu. I am Asian, and I love Asian food, so coming up with a healthy Asian fusion menu was easy.
Learning the restaurant business though, was a whole new ball game because I had ZERO experience in it. But with some getting yelled at by customers and research on my own, I was able to manage.
I’m very thankful that the concept worked out and I was able to open my second store in Orange County. It wasn’t all easy, but many sleepless nights and handwork got me to where I am today.
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?
I wish it’s been a complete smooth road. But no one really see’s all the struggles behind closed doors. When business is good, it’s good. But it has it’s times where it’s completely dead. And you just question yourself “what am I doing wrong?”… I’ve come to realize that it’s all just part of the game and you just have to truck through it.
I think one of the biggest struggles I had in the beginning was finding a good staff. I’m finally at that point where I have an amazing staff that I don’t need to worry about.
B Nutritious – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The way I like to explain it to customers or anyone who’s asking is that we’re a healthy food restaurant that provides many services. Dine in, take out, meal prep, delivery, and catering. We’re a one stop shop.
We’re known for our meal prep services along with healthy Asian fusion food.
One thing I am most proud of as a company is we genuinely provide wholesome, simple clean eating food. I’ve seen many other places that claim healthy but has all the unnecessary ingredients in their dishes. I stand by my products and believe they can make a difference in anyone’s health journey.
One thing that sets us apart from others is whether you want your food hot for lunch, dinner, etc. or need your food for the week, delivered to you, or whatever the occasion is, we are the solution for it.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Being able to open my second store in the span of 1 1/2 years. In all honesty, the restaurant business is tough and I was warned by many people that many restaurants don’t make it pass the first or second year. So to be able to expand and grow, I was very thankful and proud.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3311 Tyler Ave. El Monte, CA 91731
- Website: www.bnutritiousmeals.com
- Phone: 626-975-7524
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bnutritiousmeals/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bnutritiousmeals/?rf=910352579021989
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/b-nutritious-el-monte-2
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