Small Business Stories From the Family Dining Table
The soul of Sacramento is rooted within the people who call it home — people from all cultures and backgrounds. One of the most recognizable elements of diversity in Sacramento is the variety of cuisines. As we kick off May and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we’re highlighting just a few of the AAPI-owned food businesses in our community.
MAK & GRILLE
The family dining table carries symbolic importance in many distinct cultures. This is especially true for the Mak family, which holds a long lineage of cooks. The art of sharing food among family and friends is rooted in the Mak family’s traditions. Now, this love for spreading joy through food has expanded past the doors of the Mak household and out into the community of Sacramento. From the brothers Minh Mak, Hong Tran, and their brother-in-law, Brian Saelee, emerges a menu featuring flavors from Southeast Asian cuisines to traditional American grill food at Mak & Grille.
“We felt the support of our closest friends and family and realized this was a passion project worthy of pursuing. It stemmed from the love of sharing our multi-ethnic fusion food within our diverse community,” the Mak & Grille team shared. “We knew that if we have the love and encouragement of those who knew us best, we would be ready and committed to entering the robust and tough food business landscape, and we would do it with all that we have.”
Of course, starting a business is no easy task. The learning experience is part of the journey, and that often includes failing repeatedly. Through grit and courage, the Mak brothers persevered and overcame several obstacles as they grew their business. They credit their hometown and community of Sacramento as sources of motivation and inspiration for starting their business.
“We overcome obstacles by leaning on our resources, asking peers for help, and by being a student to others who are willing to guide us,” said the business owners. “We have the best community supporters out there, and we really mean it when we say how proud we are of our customers. Because of that, no obstacle is too big, and it is why we proudly put effort in getting to know the community we serve.”
TUK TUK BOX
Christy Innouvong-Thornton and Beatriz Aurelio-Saguin are founders of Tuk Tuk Box, a food brand offering curated Southeast Asian boxes and products. As daughters of Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees, Christy and Bea identify with the Southeast Asian diaspora. Thus, Tuk Tuk Box was founded with the goal of creating economic opportunities, advocating, and uplifting the Southeast Asian community through sharing food and using storytelling as a catalyst for social change.
“To us, food is a universal language. Though our families speak different languages and come from different backgrounds, food for us has always been a bridge, a ‘love language,'” Christy said. “It was a natural way for us to combine our passions for education, food, health, and community care.”
Not only a food retailer, Tuk Tuk Box is also part of initiatives that lead social change for both local and international Asian communities. In partnership with local nonprofit My Sister’s House, Tuk Tuk Box’s Spread Asian Joy Campaign was created to combat the rise of anti-Asian sentiment and raise awareness of the many challenges the Asian community faces. The campaign reframes the narrative of the community by celebrating the accomplishments of the Southeast Asian American community. In addition, Christy also founded Courageous Kitchen, a program that helps marginalized children in Bangkok by providing both food aid and food education. Tuk Tuk Box works with Courageous Kitchen to foster positive change in the community. Driven by a mission, Tuk Tuk Box introduces different snacks and foods in celebration of Southeast Asian cultures.
PINORRITO
Born and raised in Iguig, Cagayan Valley in the Philippines, brothers Ralph and Randolph Imatong arrived in the U.S. in 2008, both set to pursue different paths. Randolph held a passion for cooking and expressed his culinary creativity by experimenting with flavors. This passion grew into action during the pandemic when Randolph decided to curate a pop-up catering of Filipino foods. From there, the brothers teamed up and started Pinorrito, an exploration of Filipino fusion food and a celebration of Filipino culture.
“We designed our food to cater to everyone and not just Filipino individuals. We want people from different backgrounds and communities to try our food,” Randolph explained.” In that way, they will know Filipino cuisine is versatile, and that the food is authentic and enjoyable. We will use this opportunity to show people there is more to Filipino cuisine.”
The brothers faced the hurdles most businesses go through during their initial startup. Submitting the loan application was a step met with anxiety and self-doubt, a moment that marked full commitment to a big risk. The brothers’ confidence and trust within themselves reaped the rewards of the risks and resulted in the success of Pinorrito.
“We recognized our strengths and talents, and it was only right for us to use it. For example, Randy is a creative cook and experiments a lot with flavors,” Randolph said. “His talent and taste in cooking deserves to be shared and experienced by many. We also believed in each other’s capabilities, which gave us the confidence that we can operate a business together successfully.”
These small business stories all start from different points with different goals in mind. From the call for social change both locally and internationally, to a brotherhood’s ambitions for the community, these business owners trekked through their journeys, fueled by passion to be where they are today as prominent contributors to Sacramento’s culinary scene.
In addition to these three businesses, more than 30+ vendors with stories of their own will be coming together for the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce’s AAPI Night Market on Friday, May 13. This will be the first time the AAPI Night Market is held and will feature food, drink, and retail vendors, and AAPI musical artists, all in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. Come experience all the AAPI Night Market has to offer and celebrate the diversity of Sacramento!
You can learn more about the event and purchase tickets at aapinightmarket.com.