Minnebun owners aim to make their mark in the pop-up circuit

By Abdi Mohamed Staff Reporter

As new business owners, Wat and Dao Wiphusit have learned the importance of community support of a business and credit their recent successes to the Northside business landscape. Since August, they’ve been operating Minnebun, a Thai based food business that specializes in steamed buns, primarily on the Northside. The doughy treat can have several fillings, with meat or vegetarian options, in order to accommodate customers.

“If you dig really deep into it, it’s originally from China, but can be found all over Asia,” Wat said of the steamed bun. In just a few months the couple, who live in Dinkytown, have become regular vendors at food pop-up events around the Northside as they work hard to establish a reputation.

They were introduced to the Northside food scene through their experience at the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) in Saint Paul where they partook in a 12-week entrepreneur training program. At their first two events they completely sold out. The first took place at a Thai picnic on Aug. 18 at the Island Lake Ramsey County Park and the second was at the Thai street food festival on Sept. 15.

Wat and Dao say they are happy they avoided the traditional brick and mortar model for their business due to the costs and difficulty in operating it. “It gives us time to perfect our recipe and learn more about the business side,” Wat said. “We understand why 80% of businesses fail their first year” he added, citing the expensive operating costs.

Ann Fix is the coordinator for the Food Business program at the Northside Economic Opportunity Network and met with Wat and Dao when they were in the early stages of their food business idea. She helped them realize that overhead costs made a food truck cost prohibitive. She also helped them develop a business plan centered around their steamed buns.

Together they worked on their pricing, developed their logo (which Wat designed), and created a social media presence. “This is when it’s really fun,” Fix said. “I feel like we have to be creative with everything we do.”

Wat and Dao have been married for nearly four years and business partners for a fraction of that time. Previously Wat worked as a barista and Dao has a background in baking.

“We’ve argued before,” Wat said. “It’s hard to do. Her approach and my approach are different.” He describes himself as more by the book, taking on the managerial role as Dao is more artistic and in charge of the food. She creates small animal faces on each bun, making them individual art projects.

They credit social media and their customer’s reviews for the buzz that they’ve gained in the past few months. “Social media is amazing, it’s a great tool,” Dao said. “Some customers came to North Market from social media.”

The two are currently in talks for a fixed slot at North Market where customers might soon be able to purchase their buns on a consistent basis. They’ve been told that they might have a weekend slot, possibly in the morning as a breakfast option, although culturally the steamed buns serve as a snack through the day.

Fix works to support many business owners through NEON, but hopes to see more of a culture of support coming from the Northside community. “I’m hoping we can take time to nurture businesses,” she said. “We’re going to create a culture of entrepreneurship for our clients and the community.”

Although the couple would like to have a restaurant of their own in the future, they appreciate the freedom they have with their current business model. “You have to be flexible these days. You can’t be rigid,” Wat said. They enjoy seeing their customers directly and educating them on the steamed bun anytime they get questions.

Once they outgrow this model, they look to establish themselves more on the Northside and find ways to give back to the community. Whether it’s through jobs or partnerships, Wat and Dao hope to pay forward their success to the Northside. They credit the organizations and people on the Northside as the ones who got them started.

Abdi MohamedJanuary 9, 2020