One of the most important lessons Kim Nguyen has learned from her career in the restaurant industry — and the lesson she encourages others to live by — is to trust the journey, no matter where it begins.
“I got started in the restaurant business in my late twenties,” she says. “I began with restroom duties and worked my way to the front of the house. I believe in starting from the bottom and working your way up. You’ll be more grounded if you remember where you started.”
A New Orleans native, Nguyen’s dream was always to open a Vietnamese restaurant, following in the footsteps of both her mother and grandmother. After relocating to Houston following Hurricane Katrina, Nguyen decided it was time to take a big risk, and she moved back to New Orleans to make her dream a reality. The risk paid off: Magasin Kitchen and Magasin Cafe have enjoyed several years of success and even allowed Nguyen to open another location, Magasin Table, in Oklahoma City.
“My greatest achievement is being able to build multiple locations and that I’m still in business after ten years,” says Nguyen. “My love in life is to grow a strong foundation for myself and my family. I strive every day to do the best, be the best and, most importantly, learn from my failures.”
Mistakes and missteps, Nguyen believes, are as necessary to growth as victories. In the end, it’s all part of the process to becoming stronger and more resilient.
“While navigating this life, we all need to learn to fall, get up and repeat. We grow as a whole and as a family.”
Her Business
Magasin Vietnamese Café,
Magasin Kitchen & Magasin Table
Her Mission
While navigating this life, we all need to learn to fall, get up and repeat. We grow as a whole and as a family.
Contact
Magasin Vietnamese Café
4201 Magazine St. New Orleans, LA 70115
504-896-7611
Magasin Kitchen
611 O’Keefe Ave. New Orleans, LA 70113
504-571-5677
Magasin Table
NE 8th St. Oklahoma City, OK 73104
405-212-2751
