Interview: Jackie Nguyen of Cafe Cà Phê
We like to take time to highlight women we see out in the world doing their part to make the world a little nicer. In this Real Nice Lady Spotlight, we’re talking to Jackie Nguyen (she/her), Owner of Cafe Cà Phê, about coffee culture and Bath & Body Works candles.
Job Title/Profession
Owner of Cafe Cà Phê
Favorite Drink?
Cherry Coke from a fountain soda thing
Favorite Food?
Pho or hot honey fried chicken
Karaoke Song?
Ironic by Alanis Morisette
What song are you listening to on repeat right now?
Don’t Lose Sight by Lawrence
Female icon you would be for Halloween?
Oprah
Telling as little or as much as you want, how are you feeling these days?
SHE. IS. STRESSED. HUNNYYYYYY. Owning your own business is really tough shit. Especially when no one really knows what they're doing either. Managing my decision-making and my mind has been difficult.
What part(s) of your life during the pandemic have made you rethink your pre-pandemic life?
LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE PART. Right before the pandemic hit, I was a Broadway actor, performing 8 shows a week, traveling the country, with the best of friends, and having a really active lifestyle. Now? I live in Kansas City and own a coffee shop. It's the weirdest thing. I'm rethinking if I want kids. I'm rethinking if I want to marry (again). It's all a blur.
What first attracted you to your current profession?
The ability to connect with people. Coffee shops have a really intimate way of connecting people and I'm obsessed with it. You get to learn all about who people are, how they walk amongst the earth. It's really fun to be a small part of someone's life like that. That's always been my favorite part. Also, all the coffee I want at any time? Yes, please.
How has the pandemic changed how you do your job and how you run a business?
Every step of the business has to be mindful of the pandemic. From masks to sanitation to social distancing. We are trying to create a friendly, but also safe environment with our shop. It's been very hard to navigate but because I started my business literally IN the pandemic, I don't really know how else to run a business.
What is your favorite thing about your industry? Your least favorite?
My favorite thing about my industry is the loyalty of the customers and how other coffee shops are just super freaking dope too. It's not that catty. The absolute WORST it gets is that some shops just stay in their own lane, which is rare for businesses. My least favorite thing about the industry is the uppity feeling of some baristas/coffeehouses. There's an elitist feeling about coffee, and tastings, and roasting, and blah blah blah. I'm like, chill out bro. No disrespect but..... It's bean water.
What have you learned about yourself over the course of owning a business?
Before Cafe Cà Phê, I was only maybe 50% sure of myself. My decisions, my style, my voice, my values, etc. But as my business came to life, and because I brought just MYSELF to the table, it made me feel more secure in myself. I found myself patting myself on the back for a lot of the decisions I was making because I could see results (like having customers frequent the shop) or even just knowing that I can make a small difference in a community. I've learned that I can withstand hate, in the public eye, and still persevere. That was a doozy to learn.
What do you want for the future of your industry?
More equality for people of color and women. It's SUCH A WHITE CIS MALE RUN INDUSTRY. I really, really want more women to own shops. And to not be singled out for doing so either. I also think women have a better grasp of hospitality than men do. Maybe I'm biased.
What do you want for the future of Kansas City?
To become more diverse in culture and in theatre. I'd love for the artists in Kansas City to really be recognized and for Kansas City to be the next Chicago. A place where people WANT and SEEK to move here because there are opportunities here that aren't anywhere else.
What advice would you give other women trying to succeed in your industry?
DO IT. And DO IT FOR YOURSELF AND NO ONE ELSE. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE. Truly, when there are other women that tell me they want to open their shops but they're scared, I want to shake them and say YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE. Listen, we can all fail. We can all invest all of our time and money into something and have it not work out. That is life. But, wouldn't you want to be proud of yourself for trying?! The satisfaction of that alone is worth it. The damn pat on the back when you tell yourself, bitch you TRIED. Trying is already so hard. It's worth rewarding yourself for.
What was a formative moment in your life that made you who you are?
There are many pivotable moments for me. I narrow it down to two. One being when my older brother died when I was 19. That really, really shook my world. It made me feel really small, and that we are just human. Second, when I was 25, I lost all my hair to Alopecia. For 3 years I spent my mid-twenties being bald. That shit sucked HARD. Like, SO HARD. I cried every day. I felt like my femininity and identity was stolen from me. It really gave me lots of anxiety and pain that I never thought I'd experience. It also made me look at the small stuff, and not worry so much about it.
How has your relationship with success changed over the course of your life?
For the majority of my adult life, I thought success meant Broadway. Broadway to me meant a really high accolade and status. I thought Broadway actors were rich as f*ck, and were just part of some cool kids club. Some of that is semi-true. But now, success to me is being able to break through the poverty that my family happened to be part of. My mom immigrated here, with zero dollars, not even a 5th-grade education, and all of my brothers were young teenagers. It's been extremely difficult for my family to even work up to middle class. Success to me requires a lot of money now. Not because I need fancy things (I am a thrift shop hoe 4 eva) but because I want to be the first in my family to break that poverty line, and break it forever. I hope to create something so successful so that my nieces and nephews are taken care of financially, they're not dependent on scholarships or balancing 3-4 jobs just to make ends meet. I want to provide more for my family. That is what success means to me now. And I have a ways to go to get there.
When do you feel the strongest in your life? When do you feel the most vulnerable in your life?
The strongest is when I am doing things like this: interviews. It forces me to reflect properly on the times I've had to endure, and it helps me remember that I am a strong ass bitch. The most vulnerable is probably at the gym. I feel completely naked there. I feel like everyone is watching me, judging me, seeing me for all of my insecurities, and when I am in the middle of exercises I feel the weakest spiritually too. That is something I struggle with a lot.
Given the state of the world, what have you been doing to maintain your mental health lately?
I have bi-weekly therapy sessions with a therapist I've been with now for almost 3 years. I take a daily anti-depressant, I smoke weed, I cry, I watch Korean Dramas, I shop online, I go thrifting. I literally try to do anything and everything to keep my noggin in the right place. One thing I love to do is put in my AirPods and walk around Oak Park Mall. Walking into Lush, and smelling all the bath bombs, smelling every single damn candle in Bath and Body Works. There is something incredibly therapeutic to me about walking around a mall. Maybe because it's nostalgic to me and reminds me of my teenage years, I don't know. But it's hella comforting.
What Bath and Body Works candle or Lush bath bomb are you going for first when you visit the mall?
My favorite ones are about to come out, which are all the fall and Christmas scents. I love love love anything that smells like a Christmas tree, Vanilla cupcake, Paris Cafe, Marshmallow. I want my home to smell like an actual tub of frosting.
What can Kansas City do to support you and your goals in 2021?
Purchase a cup of coffee from Cafe Ca Phe. If you don't like coffee, we have Vietnamese hot cocoa! Or, continue to support other Asian-owned businesses in Kansas City, because if they thrive, we thrive. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.
Who are five women that inspire you?
My mother, Oprah Winfrey, Kamala Harris, my best friend Lisa, Cynthia Erivo, Barbara Walters.
Psst. Cafe Cà Phê is getting ready to open their brick and mortar and they would love your support. Visit their GoFundMe to learn more about this next step in their journey.