Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Songvilay.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began cooking as a young teen, and I would make instant ramen noodles for my friends and I using left over meats and veggies for an extra flare. My mom was my biggest influence in the kitchen. She taught me how to use the stove and how to cook eggs. Then cooking became a survival skill when I started living away from home.
I always had a passion for food both as a foodie and as a cook but never thought this would be a career until I started helping a close friend out as a cook at his restaurant because of short staff.
My time there brought me closer to my passion for food and after my time at the restaurant was over that is when I decided I would venture out into the food industry on my own.
I began cooking for close friends whenever they had an event or parties and I also sold my famous smoked crablegs out of my backyard. With the support of my family, friends and the city Toños continues to show much growth.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely has not been a smooth road. I started this business just a few months prior to the covid-19 pandemic
This was my first time ever starting and running a business and to top it off navigating the restrictions that came along with covid-19 shut downs and the reluctancy of the public not wanting to eat out was extremely challenging.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Toños Catering DFW?
Toños is a small Veteran operated catering and Personal chef business. I cater to all kinds of events and also offer private dining services in the comforts of a client’s home or desired location.
I have a special skill with cooking with live fire and smoke, so I’m always trying to incorporate fire and smoke into my dishes whenever I can.
The smoked crablegs was the dish that got me noticed and is now the most popular dish I make.
Toños Catering is a small business and is continuing to grow year over year. There are a lot of other bigger catering businesses out there but Toños is confident in our team’s abilities to meet a client’s expectations.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Before I started this business I was a medical student with a rewarding career path. I had only considered getting into the food business much later in my life and that was after I would retire from medicine. But I realized I wasn’t really happy with my current path so I decided to take a risk and leave medical school for something that made me more happy and do something more fulfilling for my life.
My current career may not be as financially rewarding as a physician but I am 10 times happier doing something I love!
Contact Info:
- Email: cheftonodfw@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.cheftonoskitchen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonoscateringdfw/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/tonoscateringdfw
Image Credits
Beena Zaf photography
