Tony Vu is launching the Flint Social Club, Flint’s first food industry entrepreneurial incubator
In the company of Elon Musk and the “Sharks” from Shark Tank, Flint entrepreneur Tony Vu was recently listed as one of Inc. Magazine’s The Most Important Entrepreneurs of the Past Decade, and for good reason. First he launched Flint’s Vietnamese cuisine powerhouse MaMang as a food truck which later became a hotspot in the Flint Farmers’ Market. Then he opened The Good Bowl in Traverse City, with a more expansive menu and charitable donation model, but still utilizing the quick serve format. Now, Vu and local entrepreneur Jon Hardman (Naan Stop) are set to open the Flint Social Club, a brick and mortar food and entrepreneurial incubator on Court and Stevens St.
“First it was a pop-up series at Good Beans Cafe sponsored by Kettering,” says Vu. “We did a five-event run there. The community came out for it, every night sold out, and it was so great to see people experience diverse and fun food. It’s evolved into a community of chefs and I taking on different people that we meet that have food passions and we would help them do five course meals. We mentor them, take them through the whole process of meal planning and how to cook for 30–40 people.”
As the operation began to grow, Vu and friends started utilizing their space at the Flint Farmers’ Market to help other aspiring chefs try out their menus in a pop-up format. For most of the participants, it was their first experience cooking for a large group of people in a restaurant setting.
“We’ve worked with eleven chefs now, including Krista Loutner who is a local musician, but she’s also really passionate about doing vegan breakfast food with B.A.D. (Breakfast All Day),” says Vu. “It was the busiest one to date and we did two turns at 35–40 seats each. The response was great and everyone came out to support her.”
Jon Hardman approached Vu about making a pitch on a building that was coming up for availability through the Economic Development Council. It was 4,000 square feet and after driving by and touring inside, it was perfect for their next step: opening a food hall.
“Food halls are all the rage right now across the country. In my travels I’ve been able to visit a lot of them. Some are done not so well, and some are absolutely spectacular models of the future of the industry. When this building came up and I got to see the space and the size of it, it was pretty much a no-brainer.”
The way the incubator will work directly reflects the path Vu took in his food industry journey. Starting with pop-ups, getting a kitchen, graduating to a food truck and eventually having the skills to start a brick and mortar restaurant.
“We’re essentially building a food hall with different tiers of stalls and different operational capabilities,” says Vu. “The first tier is doing pop-ups, getting your foot in the door and still keep your day job while working on your passion. The second tier is being able to get an actual stall and start serving there, similar to the Farmers’ Market. The third tier is having a stall with a full kitchen essentially. There’s also a commissary kitchen that all the users can work out of. The goal is for everyone to go through all of the tiers and build up their business to the point where they can get their own food truck as part of our programming.”
The importance of fresh food goes beyond different dining options in the city. Partnering with Flint Fresh Food Hub, Flint Food Works and The Flint Farmers’ Market allows the Flint Social Club and others to educate Vehicle City residents on the importance of eating better ingredients, uplift local farming communities and after the water crisis, continue the path of healthy food initiatives by providing nutrient-dense produce to those who need it now more than ever.
Like all Flint natives, Vu has his list of frequented downtown favorites.
“I have my standbys like Soggy Bottom Bar. The Market Tap had a little changeover, but there’s a cool scene starting to build up again. Love the Farmers’ Market and all the vendors from there and I try to get something from them every week. Shout out to Derek Neely who is starting to do some jerk chicken stuff around town. I also want to give a special shout out to Empress of China. I just saw that they’re closing after I think 21 years of business or so. They opened right around the same time my mom’s restaurant, The Golden Seahorse, did. We were three or four buildings down from each other. I know the community is feeling that one, so I wanted to say thanks for the memories.”
Tony Vu continues to run his businesses MaMang and The Good Bowl while helping others follow their passions using the Flint Social Club, which in turn, is the heart of the entrepreneur.
“We’re not only creating jobs, but we’re creating small business owners. The hope is to create them all across the city and not just keeping them downtown. It’s a good thing for Flint as a whole.”
An opening date for the Flint Social Club is yet to be determined, but for now you can visit Tony Vu at MaMang in the Flint Farmers’ Market or if you’re in Traverse City, check out The Good Bowl.
Keep up to date with Flint Social Club pop-ups and announcements by following them on FACEBOOK
