From Lost Teen to Restaurant Empire in Vietnam | Adrian Chong Yen

Описание: From a “lost kid” who left school at 15… to leading some of Saigon’s most loved restaurants, Adrian Chong Yen has built a true founder story inside Vietnam’s booming F&B scene.

In this episode of Seven Figure Founders, host Linh Podetti sits down with Adrian, Executive Chef & Founder of Sol Group Hospitality (Sol Kitchen & Bar, Taco Del Sol and more), to unpack how he turned kitchen grit into a fast-growing restaurant group in Ho Chi Minh City.

In this conversation, we dive into:


 How getting into trouble at school accidentally pushed him into his first kitchen job
 Leaving school at 15, moving to Singapore, and climbing from dishwasher to sous chef
 Why he realised being “just a chef” wasn’t sustainable and started thinking like a business owner
 The bold move from Singapore to Vietnam and seeing Ho Chi Minh City as a “blank canvas”
 Starting Sol Kitchen & Bar in 2018… then getting hit by COVID within the first year
 How he turned crisis into opportunity and spun off Taco Del Sol during lockdowns
 Growing from 1 restaurant to a multi-venue group with no external investors
 What “unreasonable hospitality” means and how he builds culture in his team
 His daily routine as a founder, husband and dad, and how he makes time for family & self-care
 The mentors, mindset and discipline that carried him through the toughest seasons
 His vision for Vietnam’s F&B scene and the legacy he wants to leave for his kids

ABOUT ADRIAN
Adrian Chong Yen is the Executive Chef and Founder of Sol Group Hospitality, the team behind some of Saigon’s most loved dining concepts, including Sol Kitchen & Bar, Taco Del Sol, Bunz Smash Burgers, and the newly launched Cee’s Eatery. Starting his culinary journey at age 15, Adrian worked his way up from dishwasher to chef, spending over a decade in Singapore’s top restaurants before moving to Vietnam. Known for his bold flavours, creative concepts, and “unreasonable hospitality,” Adrian has grown his brand into a fast-rising restaurant group shaping Ho Chi Minh City’s modern dining scene.

Connect with Adrian & visit his restaurants:
 Website: https://solkitchenbar.com/
 Instagram:   / adrianchongyen  
Facebook:   / adrian.c.yen.5