Today we’d like to introduce you to Qing Lin and Tung Nguyen.
Hi Qing and Tung, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
As a first and second generation Asian-American, we met while working together in the food and entertainment industry back in 2013. We both grew up with similar backgrounds with traditional and cultural parents who owned their own businesses. My name is Qing, and I immigrated with my parents to New York when I was very young and eventually settled down in Florida. I’ve always helped around at my parent’s restaurant when I was young, but despite being around food all the time, I didn’t grow to hate it, on the contrary, I became a foodie and would love to eat or try anything. My parents were the traditional type and always wanted a certain path for my sister and I but for me, I felt like I needed to venture out and do my own thing. Eventually, through all my experience in various industries, I wanted to become an entrepreneur, and this is where Tung comes in. My name is Tung, and I was born and raised in New York and eventually moved down to Orlando, Florida with my family. Right out of high school, I began working at my parent’s nail salon while going through college. After college and working in the retail and entertainment, I moved up to leadership roles and realized that this was what I loved to do. To take it one step further would be to start my own business and that was when Qing and I decided to explore different business ventures. We both have always been foodies, and we found a unique cultural food/dessert that resonated with us, mochi donuts and Korean corndogs. Mochi donuts are made with rice flour which attributes to is chewy and stretchy texture. They’re topped with sweet glaze and other elements which makes it completely different from your average donuts. And Korean corndogs are made with a rice flour batter and covered with optional toppings such as potatoes or hot Cheetos that which gives it a tasty and textural sensation. Our passion to expand this franchise and share these delectable delights with everyone has pushed us to starting this business for ourselves!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When we first decided to start a business together, it wasn’t always about mochi donuts or Korean corndogs. We had to figure out what interests we were passionate about and if it would attract others as well. We actually had a few failed businesses before we finally landed on Mochinut. This Fast casual was a fusion of Asian food and America food to create something unique that represented us as Asian Americans.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Qing – I’ve been a physical therapist assistant for 7 years and also worked in various industries along the way. Healthcare was always a passion of mine, and I was very good at it. I specialized in outpatient musculoskeletal, orthopedic and manual therapy and have treated various ages from young toddlers to geriatrics. Being in the healthcare industry has honed my customer service skills and being able to adapt to all situations and de-escalations. Tung – I’ve worked in retail management positions, and I’m also an artist. Art has always been a passion of mine, and I’ve always tried to incorporate it into all my jobs. For instance, I have made many marketing posters and vinyl work for my retail jobs and drawn many mockups and designs of our building plans for Mochinut. While going through college and working at various jobs, I’ve become pretty versatile in many professional aspects, and my resourcefulness is what I think set sets me apart from others.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Covid-19 has definitely affected us because it has drastically changed the business world. It has caused prices for many things to rise, and the availability of workers/contractors has been difficult to acquire. Learning to adapt to these conditions is a key factor in have a successful business.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Mochinut.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mochinut_ucf/
