What got you interested in pizza?
• I worked as a cook in a pizza restaurant for 6 years before. I learned a lot from my previous company. I always dream of opening my own business, but because of my previous work, I figured out what kind of business I want to have. I envision my business to be a pizza restaurant because I’m passionate about pizza. I always want to learn and study more about brick oven pizza. I climbed my way from cook to head chef, to restaurant manager, and to staff trainer, and I believe this experience is really helpful now that I’m managing my own pizza restaurant.


Why did you start your business?
• I want to create pizzas with unique flavors. In my restaurant, you can find the fusion of Vietnamese and Italian style. Some of my bestsellers are Vietnamese spring roll pizza, pho pizza, and durian pizza. Another reason why I want to open Emoji Pizza is because there are a lot of pizza restaurants in Vietnam, but handmade and brick oven pizza is not that popular. I want to introduce this kind of pizza to the masses and I want to share my pizza knowledge, especially through training my staff.


What is your favorite part in making pizza?
• I spend a lot of time just to watch the fire in the brick oven. I believe there’s an adventure going on in the oven. Everything that's made inside has its own journey. I feel I have a special connection with the oven because for me watching the fire inside the brick oven is like meditation. In my previous restaurants, I was the one tasked to make the brick oven, but in my restaurant now, my friend helped me in making the brick oven. Until this day, we are still researching on how to improve our oven.


What is the impact of your company in your community? Or to the customers?
• The customers like it. So many people find it strange but they are curious, and when they try it, they were surprised and they liked it. We had Italian customers and they love it because they never had anything like that.


Why do you advocate?
• I believe in the value of giving. If I want something in life, I will find a way to give it first.


What legacy do you want to leave behind?
• My future dream is a special school for children who are unfortunate in life.


What is your advice to those who also want to start their own business?
• When you first start, you will think that it will be very difficult because there are a lot of things that you don’t know. Naturally, when we think of something that we are not sure about, we will automatically find it difficult. But if we don’t do something different, we will not make a change in life.


What is the greatest learning you gained from Emoji Pizza?
• I started as a cook so I don’t really have knowledge in marketing and financial matters. Those sides of business are new to me. I studied and researched about it. I also build my own team so we can work this out and learn about it together.