MEKONG CAFE FLEXES DURING DIFFICULT TIMES
Who:
Sichanh Volp, co-owner, Mekong Cafe
What:
Former restaurant is now an Asian market and sandwich counter
Where:
5930 W. North Ave
When:
Established in 2008
Why did you and your mother, Banh Phongsavat, start the cafe?
My mom wanted to have her own business after working 10 plus years in different Thai restaurants. She enjoyed cooking and had a vision to create a small family business to provide for our family.
When did you change Mekong Cafe from a restaurant to a market and sandwich counter?
This idea was brought up between my mom and I in November/December 2020. We weren't quite sure yet if we were going to move forward. When we did decide, one of the first pieces of equipment we sold was our buffet. There was no looking back when it was sold and we made the final call in January to start setting up the market.
Why did you make the switch?
It was a difficult decision to make. Due to Covid, we were left struggling to find ways to keep our doors open. We relied on take-outs and deliveries but that wasn't enough to cover our overhead cost. With a small kitchen and the smaller wok range, it was difficult on some busy nights to keep up with the volume. Therefore we were capped on the number of sales we could make in a night. We had different variables that were not in our favor and I had to act quickly, or we wouldn't survive.
Then I had the idea of utilizing the empty dining room as a market and turning our juice bar into a sandwich shop. We wanted to shift our focus to what we do best — food. We wanted to offer handcrafted, authentic items that are more time-consuming to prepare, setting ourselves apart from other Asian markets by offering authentic food in our grab-n-go section. No more Chicago trips for banh-mi runs to buy 5 to 10 sandwiches for the family in the "Vietnamese town" on Argyle street. We wanted something closer, so we offer it here.
What are the most popular sandwiches?
We have three popular sandwiches: #1 Mekong classic (Saigon-style banh mi), #5 Bang Bang Banh-Mi (Laotian-style banh-mi) #9 Sai-Oua Banh-Mi (with our family recipe for sausage we make in-house).
Have you experienced any "ah-ha" moments since the cafe first opened that helps you improve your business?
Yes, all the time. It's always a learning experience and even when we had the buffet, being creative and not having a set menu always kept it interesting for our customers. The positive outcome that came out of Covid is the "ah ha" moment of starting a market and sandwich counter. I should've thought about this sooner!
“We are thankful and proud to call Uptown Crossing our home.”
— Sichanh Volp
Tell me about your most interesting customer
He's an older senior gentleman that brings in his own mason jar to fill up his soup. He’s one of the first customers every morning. Even before we are open, he's standing outside waiting patiently. He would come in for small talks. When Covid hit, and we were still doing buffet but not self-serve, he came in and left me a note and extended a very kind gesture to loan us money. I was touched.
What is your personal "superpower?"
I do it all. My "superpower" is my passion for the business. I find this very important because it's the drive that keeps me going.
What is something about you that your customers might be surprised to learn
I went to Alverno College to become a nurse, but then I realized I couldn't stand the sight of blood.
What do you like about running a business in Uptown Crossing?
The support and love the community shares. How diverse, resilient and strong the people are. I would like to share that we are thankful and proud to call Uptown Crossing our home. We originally had a signed contract to lease a building in downtown, but it fell through. We found this location on Craigslist. I don't know if it's just by luck or faith. We are so happy that we’re here.
Photos: Rob Gustafson, co-owner, Vennture Brew
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