Little Paris
When did you come to America?
I came here in 1993, so it will be 30 years in total next year.
Why did you choose to open your restaurant in Chinatown?
I was a former employee of this Vietnamese restaurant, and I have been working here for over 20 years. The previous boss retired in her 80s, and her son and daughter refused to take over the restaurant. So, my daughter bought the restaurant and let me take over. Unfortunately, after taking over it for a year, Covid came.
Can you tell us about the main cuisines of your restaurant?
This is a Vietnamese restaurant, so our Vietnamese bread, beef noodles, rice, and Vietnamese coffee are very famous.
What was your original purpose for opening Little Paris?
The original purpose was to work for a few years to retire because I think it would be easier to be a boss, and my plan was to retire at the age of 62 after 5 more years of working. I took over the restaurant in 2019. However, after one year, Covid came and led me to a state of losing money, but my daughter told me to keep working and will always support me.
Have you encountered any new difficulties now?
Business in Chinatown is very difficult due to Covid-19. Many people leave Chinatown to work, so our community is not as prosperous as before. When I was an employee of this restaurant, I could sell hundreds of bread a day. Now I can only sell dozens of bread. After a while, my restaurant‘s rent contract will expire. If the shop rent continues to rise to more than 7000 dollars, I can't afford the rent anymore.
What do you hope to see for the future of Chinatown?
I want to see Chinatown have a thriving period.