RESTAURATEURS OF THE YEAR presented by The Hartford
TONY PHAM & RICH REYES Mecha Noodle Bar
Since they were little, Tony and Rich were taught the traditional ways of cooking and the value of a shared meal. Through the sacrifice and story of their immigrant parents, the seed of the American Dream was planted, and this is what grew: a commitment to build something bigger than themselves…Mecha Noodle Bar was born. From what started as a small noodle shop in Fairfield just over ten years ago, Mecha has grown to seven locations across Connecticut and Massachusetts, with three more stores coming online next year in Washington D.C., Colorado and Ohio. 10 restaurants in 10 years! Tony and Rich are on a mission to revolutionize the restaurant industry, one noodle bar at a time. Their vision of “creating a better future together” extends beyond the walls of their establishments, inspiring their team and everyone they encounter to embody the essence of what it means to be a good human. Eat Justice was born out of Tony and Rich’s vision for impacting the local communities their restaurants serve. It’s a simple concept: raise the price of certain menu items by 50 cents and donate the sum to a worthy cause of the staff’s choosing every month. The guys believe and live by the mantra: Profit matters. People matter more. Embodying this in the way they invest in their people, their stores and their local communities. To date, local Mecha noodle bars have given almost $700,000 away through Eat Justice.
2023 CRAZIES AWARDS
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