Mãn Tự Vegan (TP.HCM) là một nhà hàng chay hoạt động theo hình thức kì lạ sẽ đưa thực khách đi từ bất ngờ này đến với bất ngờ khác.
The first surprising thing that visitors to the restaurant see is that there is no cash register at all. What we need to do is just take the plate, go to the counter, get the food and then eat. When coming here, strangers sit and eat together, have fun and chat loudly in the cozy space of the restaurant.
The amount of dishes at the restaurant is many and varied. From soups to fried dishes, from rice and noodles to sweet soups, extremely nutritious and eye-catching.
After eating, you can go home as you like, but if you feel the food is delicious, you can leave any amount of money you want, whether it's 100,000 VND, 50,000 VND, 5,000 VND or 1,000 VND, no problem at all. .
And what surprises many people is that even though they do not charge for meals, the restaurant is still carefully taken care of down to the smallest detail. The space inside is lit with a warm light, creating a warm feeling and carrying the sound of purity.
The restaurant's staff works at full capacity, from preparing ingredients, cooking to preparing food and cleaning and washing dishes. Stepping into the restaurant, you will not feel like this is a popular restaurant, but rather a buffet restaurant.
Ms. Phuong, the shop's owner, said: "I opened the shop not for profit, but can only say it is for revenue and expenses. The free money collected each day is usually not enough to cover the expenses, but somehow the shop has not closed yet. Sometimes, someone would transfer 2 million to her, buying dozens of kilograms of rice and cooking a few meals for the restaurant. Many times, when guests come to eat, they deposit a lot of money and compensate for those who pay less. One way or another, I believe that my shop can still operate for many more years.”
She added that before opening the restaurant, she graduated in electrical and electronics, worked for 10 years in the construction industry and now works in a restaurant, completely unrelated fields. The money accumulated during a decade of working together with her husband's salary helps her ensure the shop's operations as well as tuition for her children and family living expenses.
“From the moment this restaurant opened until now, everything has happened by chance and I don't understand why. To be honest, I didn't know how to cook before. When I was about to open a restaurant, a chef called and asked to work," Ms. Phuong happily shared.
Explaining why there is no clear regulation on the amount for a meal, Ms. Phuong said that if the price is listed as 2,000 VND, 5,000 VND or 10,000 VND, it will unintentionally only target customers who are working people. active, while young people or office workers will not come because of common psychology.
“She opened the restaurant to spread vegetarianism because this is a healthy lifestyle, good for health, as well as the meaning of charity work, encouraging people to give more instead of just receiving. To do this, you must target your customers to young people, who will be the masters of society in the future." Ms. Phuong thought.
Not many of her friends and relatives supported this, but she still did it regardless and to this day still has to make up for the loss. The problem is, Ms. Phuong does not need money to open a shop, but she needs the cooperation of the community.
“I want to do charity, but smart charity. That means, instead of giving gifts of money to the poor, that money will die because it cannot be rotated or generated. For this restaurant, well-off people can put more money into the donation box to provide meals for people in more difficult circumstances, through which everyone can do charity.
I sometimes feel like I'm crazy when doing business and have to use my own pocket to make up for losses, but I hope there are many crazy people like me who can do something together for this society. Those who have the means only need to spend a little to expand many opportunities for those in difficulty.
Even if she goes bankrupt, she still wants to do it because this is her dream. I wish to inspire many others to act together and prove that: a business that is not profitable still cannot die, as long as you do your job well, everything will fall into place," she said. Phuong smiled brightly and shared her ambition.
Man Tu Vegan
Address: 201 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/mantu.food.house/
Phone number: 079 767 8333
