Meet Tony Nguyen | CEO of Kemeno Group

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tony Nguyen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tony, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I selected franchises based on mostly the people behind it and also on its branding and success rate. With 7 Leaves Cafe, I liked how the culture of care and giving back was their business philosophy which aligns with me professionally and personally.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I founded Kemeno Group to manage franchises, to open restaurant concepts and to provide consultation and mentorship for future commercial and business development. Entrepreneurship came naturally for me as I grew up around it, stocking and straightening the shelves at my father’s first Vietnamese grocery store in Ft. Worth, Vietnam Plaza. My late father taught me the details of running a business and to give back to the community. This is ingrained in me.

Since starting Kemeno Group and with the help of my good friend Danny Bui, I have selected and opened 9 franchises and three of those are 7 Leaves Cafe. I selected 7 Leaves Cafe and the other franchises because of their brand, success rate, and mostly because I liked the people behind it and what their culture of care philosophy. It’s important to pick brands (and people) that you can believe in and who believes in you for you to be successful.

One of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned is that I am in the people business and there’s a responsibility that comes that, from the people who entrust me to carry on their franchise, to our teams that makes it happen, to the people we serve everyday and to the community that we’re in. At the end of the day, we are taking care of people in every aspect and that makes for a successful business.

I believe that you can “be the change you wish to see in the world” (Ghandi’s famous quote) by my everyday decisions and actions so if Kemeno Group is involved, this means that there is care at the center of it all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Dallas-Ft. Worth area is made up of great neighborhoods, so I would tell my friends to visit these great spots:

Visit a neighborhood called Lower Greenville where you can start with sips at the Truck Yard (outdoor eclectic patio area), followed by a bite at The Halal’s Guys and then walk down the street for gelato at Botolino.

Spend a Saturday or a Sunday at Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie! Start with dim sum at The Pearl or browse the food court and head to 7 Leaves Cafe for the perfect Vietnamese iced coffee or mung bean milk tea!

Carrolton is a must-visit Asian-centric area with a variety of options. For some amazing Korean, BCD Tofu house is a must-try, followed by the perfect refreshing herbal tea or milky black oolong tea from 7 Leaves Cafe a few doors down.

If you’re lucky and SandoItchi is having a pop up during the visit, then be prepared to get there early and line-up for amazing sandos made from a group of local guys making a splash.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My biggest shoutout goes to my late father who taught be about owning business, about the details that goes into running a business, about service and hospitality, about the importance of living by example and in your everyday example for your children, and most importantly, the meaning of giving back to your community and being a kind person. The life and work experiences and lessons from my father has shaped me and instilled values that affect my decisions every day.

Website: www.kemeno.biz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kemeno.biz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7leavescafedfw

Image Credits
Thanin Viriyaki Photography for all images except the drink photo. That photo was provided by 7 Leaves Cafe.