If you thought incorporating social impact into your business strategy was only important to certain industries, look no further than Mecha Noodle Bar and founder/CEOs TONY M PHAM and Richard Reyes for evidence to the contrary. They have built a beautifully simple and effective business model and movement with Eat Justice, and their recent recognition by the Connecticut Restaurant Association as CT's 2023 Restauranteurs of the Year is so well deserved! Amazingly, this month Mecha Noodle Bar is donating almost $60,000 to a nonprofit nominated by an employee- and they make this kind of significant donation EVERY month through the Eat Justice model. Most players in the restaurant industry are not particularly known for corporate social responsibility, and especially for the small- to mid-sized restaurant businesses out there, slim margins are a frequent and legitimate concern when talking corporate citizenship. Many businesses in this and many other industries shy away from regular investment in social impact, but doing all they can when they can. This is valuable, and I hope still as appreciated as it was during the height of COVID 19. But what if a few fairly simple tweaks to your business model changed that? This is what Rich and Tony are achieving through Eat Justice- and it's paying off. Their business thriving, opening new locations in three more states in 2024. Their employee dedication and satisfaction is far above average. They are gaining a fantastic reputation with patrons beyond their seriously yummy chow, with a loyal base returning regularly because they know they're making an impact by eating there. And it's no small impact. Eat Justice is a movement- and their model is no secret. Seriously, ask Rich. Ask Tony. Ask any location manager. Ask me! It's not difficult to implement, is scalable, and is just as applicable for brand new companies as multi-generational companies. It's adaptable across industries. The goal is to truly build a community where lifting each other up is a given, woven into the fabric of the economy. Social impact investment is one facet of corporate citizenship. Businesses of the future will need to pay attention to all of the facets, but this is certainly an easy place to start.
Congratulations to our founders and CEOs, TONY M PHAM and Richard Reyes, for being selected as Connecticut's 2023 Restauranteurs of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association! Through the story of their immigrant parents, Tony and Rich have learned the importance of sacrifice, hard work and grace. These values serve as the bedrock for Mecha Noodle Bar, shaping our mission to serve local communities by providing Asian comfort food while paying it forward. Mecha Noodle Bar will grow because of the beautiful movement you have both created with Eat Justice. From what started as a small noodle shop in Fairfield, Mecha has now flourished into seven locations throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, with three more on the horizon in D.C., Colorado and Ohio. Please join us in applauding TONY M PHAM and Richard Reyes for this well-deserved recognition. Here's to building something bigger than ourselves and inspiring others to do the same. 🎉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eVmwSVsN
Love this!👏