Lan is a Vietnamese American who made a bold career change from pharmacist to coffee entrepreneur. After being furloughed during the pandemic, she pivoted to pursue her dream and successfully launched Fat Miilk Chicago's first Vietnamese Robusta centric Coffee Company, the brand saw instant global recognition when Bon Appetit listed Fat Miilk on their highly recommended list. The brand can be seen in publications including Eater, Time Out, Thrillist, Roast Magazine and more. Lan was recently a finalist on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars on Fox Network, where she represented her brand leadership and entrepreneurial story.
Randy:
So I just want to say thank you so much for being here today. I have been to Fat Miilk a few times, and it has been such a great experience so far. So congratulations on the launch of Fat Miilk.
Lan:
Thank you so much, Randy, and I appreciate your support in every single way. I've definitely seen you in the storefront as well, and so I'm excited to be here.
Randy:
What can you describe about your upbringing as a Vietnamese American and the role that your parents played in your life?
Lan:
That's a loaded question, you know? I think it's one of those things where I'm still evolving into that. I think it's one of those things where I grew up in a very traditional, immigrant household where a lot of security driven goals and expectations that are non-negotiable, right? Just coming from two parents who are Vietnam refugees, right? So I think a lot of that was a big part in my growing up, and just being able to see their struggles and really observing life at home and then life out here in the states, like growing up in the American school system and etc. I think so much of that is just being hyper-vigilant about what's going on around me. And I feel like even today, I'm still discovering so much about myself and how I respond to things and things that are important to me. I think especially in my adult life, you're seeing me take on a very active and front-facing position in my career, choices to really represent my culture, represent my family, and those things that I recognized over the years. It's incredibly important to me and my identity. So I don't know if I have one singular answer to that, but I think it's all-encompassing.
Randy:
What gives you pride about being Vietnamese American?
Lan:
I think that's my superpower, you know what I mean? I think everyone has, the way they grow up, either good, bad or whatever. It's all about how you handle it. I think just being exposed to such diversity, such disparity in my household, and then going out and having a whole different POV with my friends and being in school for so long as well, going from Bachelors, Masters, Doctorates, all of that. Being Vietnamese American, I kind of get to experience both sides of the spectrum, and then really assess how to be able to relate to other people, and the empathy and compassion, and having that diversity. So I think it's my superpower.
Randy:
You first begin your career as a pharmacist, what made you get into that career, and what was your takeaway from that experience of being a pharmacist?
Lan:
Going into the pharmacy route was definitely a decision that was influenced by my parents for sure, and I think I've always had a knack for entrepreneurship, but when you're young and you're not really exposed to what that could look like. You kind of go about just taking your parents’ lead. I think I've always been academically driven. I love to learn, and I'm good at it so that was how I became successful and going in that direction. Once I got there, I realized it wasn't for me, so I have no regrets. Take everything that I've learned from that journey and apply it to what I'm doing now.
Randy:
You were furloughed during the pandemic. What made you take that leap of faith to get into the coffee business?
Lan:
I think the signs were there. You know what I mean? Like, I had already been working on Fat Miilk for so long. I incorporated the business like a year before I even launched it, and it was something that I was conceptualizing for years and years and years. When I had the opportunity to jump ship, I looked at that as a huge sign and as a blessing. More than anything, it was scary as hell, but I saw it as a blessing and I went for it.
Randy:
What was it like being on Gordon Ramsay's show, and what did you learn most about yourself being on that show?
Lan:
What did I like most about it? I think it was just something totally out of my element, something I think when you're an entrepreneur, you have to put yourself in those situations, to continually challenge yourself and just really go the distance, take that big risk. Like, if you're really in it to win it, you got to take that chance. So I think that was what I really enjoyed about (the show). It was definitely a change of scenery, and I learned that I really have what it takes. I really could step up to the plate and deliver.
Randy:
What was Gordon Ramsay like outside of the show, or did you have any interactions with him?
Lan:
Yeah, I definitely did. I think Gordon Ramsay is who he is. I think he has a side of him that's like a big TV personality, but he's also a family man, so you definitely see that part of him as well. I think he's just one of those people where he likes you if you take things seriously, and if you're being a fool and just making a mockery out of things, you know he's going to grill you on that. So as long as you showed up, he was going to like be there to mentor and support you.
Randy:
What did you learn about Vietnamese coffee and its potential?
Lan:
I mean, Vietnamese coffee has been around as long as I can remember. It's such a staple, our culture and how we grow up, and it's something that we've been known for for a very, very long time. I think there is always something missing in the market and I saw it as an opportunity to just bring it to the limelight.
Randy:
Robusta beans are a big part of Vietnamese coffee. I was wondering if you can tell us a little bit about the Robusta and what makes it different from other coffee?
Lan:
So the Robusta bean essentially, is just another coffee species, right? Like the way that I like to explain it to people that don't know is that it's very similar to wine. You have your Pinots, all these different types of grapes and different kind of varieties that come out of that coffee are no different. Arabica is the #1 consumed coffee species in the United States. It’s very different in its profile, and Robusta is very different in its profile. It has two completely (different) identities. Vietnam is the #1 producer of Robusta. It's a bean that has 2x the caffeine content. It has lower acidity than the Arabica bean, and it just has a very bold and nutty-like chocolatey flavor profile. It is a bean that will deliver and has a kick to it. Vietnam is known for that, and you add a little bit of sweetened condensed milk to it, it’s just the perfect balance, right? So that's traditionally how Vietnamese coffee is presented, but what we want to do is showcase all the other different ways that you can experience Vietnamese coffee and the Robusta bean. That's why you can have it like 10 different ways when you put them in our storefront.
Randy:
There are other Viet coffee businesses like Vietfive and Nguyen Coffee Supply, to name a few. Why do you think Vietnamese coffee is now catching on?
Lan:
I think what you're seeing now is a whole generation that's coming up right after the the war. Our parents’ generation was very traumatic. The Vietnam War ended in1975 right? That is still very recent. So what you're seeing now is the children of that generation and how that impacted our upbringing. You're just seeing when you look at all the entrepreneurs who are bringing Vietnamese coffee to the mainstream right now, we're all around the same age. We all have parents with similar stories, and I think we're just all so proud and excited for the stories that we want to showcase and celebrate and let that be known. So I think there's this movement that's going on that's way beyond just coffee alone. It's this whole movement of sharing our culture.
Randy:
The Asia on Argyle neighborhood has been home to many Vietnamese businesses for the past 40+ years. What was your connection to that community and how has that impacted you?
Lan:
When I launched Fat Miilk, we didn't have a storefront so we were always do pop-ups, events, whatever. The Asia on Argyle in the Uptown neighborhood is such an iconic intersection, iconic like the corridor of Chicago, that we just always naturally gravitated to it because that was the Southeast Asian corridor of Chicago, right? There were so many Vietnamese culture food people up there. So anytime that we would do pop-ups or events like throughout the first three years, I mean, it was just so well received. People knew what we were doing. They knew what Vietnamese coffee was and so not only did we see success from it from a business standpoint, I just knew that this had to be our flagship storefront. We had to base our roots on what really mattered, and that's the people, right? That's sharing those stories and being a part of that community. So that was very, very intentional for me to place Fat Miilk’s presence there and then expand beyond it.
Randy:
You opened Fat Miilk recently to great fanfare. What has it been like for you to run this business, and what lessons have you learned so far since opening the store?
Lan:
Yeah, it's been hard. I mean, it's a business. We're still very new. We're still very young, We're a small team, and it's very much a grind 100%. So I think every single day we get up, it's been no different, even though this is like our first storefront, we've been around for four years. So to me, I'm kind of immune to difficulties and challenges. That's just the name of the game when it comes to entrepreneurship and when you're really trying to make your mark.
Randy:
What new plans do you have in store for yourself and your business?
Lan:
I think for myself, I just want to deliver to my team. I want to do right by my team. I'm already starting to see the fruits of my labor The community that we're starting to build is probably one of the most exciting or rewarding things about what I've been doing so far, and that comes down to our team as well. I think for me, I'm kind of ready to just take it to the next level. I say that for Fat Miilk as well, and those plans will be shared soon on what we have to store, but we're definitely a driven team. We're ambitious, and we see a big, big, big vision for what Fat Miilk will be one day.
Randy:
That sounds amazing, and I cannot wait to see what comes next for you and Fat Miilk. So last question, what would you say to your 2020 self?
Lan:
2020 self, what would I say? I would probably say you are going to undertake the most challenging and hardest journey of my life, and I will have no regrets no matter what, (or) how I go about doing it. I always knew I was going to but I think sometimes we're so ridden with fear, that gets in the way. In 2020, I don't know if I would say anything different. I would say, go for it and don't look back and that's exactly what I did.
Randy:
Thank you so much for your time, Lan, and best of luck again to your business and on your future endeavors. So thank you again for being here today.
Lan:
Thank you for having me.
Follow Fat Miilk on IG @ FatMiilk and Lan Ho @ IAmLanHo
Viet Coffee Time!