We recently connected with Chef Tim Vimonnimit and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Chef Tim, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
Culturally, Thai people are extremely generous and welcoming. As a kid growing up in Southern Thailand, this concept has been reinforced throughout my entire life – by my parents and by my environment.
Prior to attending culinary school, I worked in the hospitality industry in Southern Thailand. It was always fun, for me, to welcome and show people around and share with them the sights, sounds, and most importantly the food. Thailand is known for its beautiful views and, of course, its cuisine. I decided to take that interest in food a little further and enrolled in culinary school almost 20 plus years ago.
Combining both my culinary interest and my hospitality background really helped me navigate the small business world surrounding a restaurant and food truck.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I was born and raised in Thailand, but my heart and family are pure Memphis. It was important to me to put some roots down in Memphis – not only starting a family, but opening our restaurant – Soi Number 9. Soi Number 9 focuses on providing true, authentic, Thai street food – the same thing you’d get if you were to visit Thailand.
We started out as a food truck, but after just a few years and an incredible amount of support from our amazing customers, we expanded to a bricks and mortar space at UT Campus Dining at the UT Health Science Center in the Memphis Medical District. We’ve also expanded to catering, as well.
The support we’ve received from our customers across the years has been absolutely unbelievable – especially during the pandemic. Without our loyal customer support, we would not be where we are, today. Our Memphis community is the absolute BEST.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Being a small business owner is extremely difficult. In our case, we wear many hats – we are the buyer, the chef, the inventory manager, maintenance guy, and HR boss. It’s hard! But, the three things that I’ve carried with me throughout this entire experience is to be honest with others and with yourself; be grateful for what you have and where you are; and always be kind to all.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My wife, Mai! She is the co-owner of Soi Number 9. We balance each other out in terms of strengths and weaknesses of our business. She handles all of the finances, insurance, paperwork, back of house duties, and is unbelievable at it. She is extremely patient and extremely organized – all the things that I wish I could be!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soinumber9.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soinumber9/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soinumber9/
