Peter Nguyen
Peter Nguyen is a second generation Vietnamese American. He grew up in New Orleans working at his father’s gas station with his siblings, and now owns the property right next to it where he is the CEO of Banh Mi Boys. His po boy shop fuses some of the Vietnamese and New Orleans Cuisines that he grew up eating. It became so successful that he has opened other locations in New Orleans and even in other states.
“ It’s very interesting because I have refugee parents and I'm now collecting all the old traditional traditions, and then seeing New Orleans and learning something new from this side. So I play both sides to where I'm deep in Vietnamese culture, deep in New Orleans culture. I am straying away from the 100% traditional way of thinking.”
Link to full interview:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CfDk7rMOuf1qmTRaRXlBL-ZuzoMbPxqFN91Ra2Z6Q1o/edit?tab=t.0
“Now people are starting to accept more changes. Because when it comes to Vietnamese food, when it comes to New Orleans food, everything is heavy in traditional history, and people are scared to take risks or go outside of it because they're scared of messing up the cuisine. You can see now people appreciate that. I feel like that's the only way to carry on tradition, is to innovate on tradition”
Born in New Orleans in 1989
Between the years of 2009 and 2013 he held many jobs such as being a valet for Marriott and Office Supply sales to save up to buy his restaurant
He graduated business school with a degree in marketing in 2017
In 2000, worked as a bag boy, cashier, and stock boy at his father’s gas station in Metairie along with his three other brothers
In 2015, he opened Banh Mi Boys in the building next to his father’s gas station. He was in the process of completing business school. His parents told him that it would be on him to pay rent and handle all restaurant business
By 2024, Banh Mi Boys is a huge success now has opened locations in Uptown, and even other states such as Texas