“It is dense and strong and bold, just like our people,” he told NBC 5 Chicago as part of our coverage for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. “I always say we share our story, we build community, and we do it through the love of our Vietnamese culture.”He opened up Vietfive Coffee two years ago to give Chicagoans a special taste of his Vietnamese heritage and to pay homage to his roots.
Huynh said the response has been overwhelming since opening the business' doors near the intersection of Madison Street and Aberdeen Street. The coffee shop offers unique flavors and blends. The Robusta coffee beans are grown and harvested in Vietnam, then imported to the Windy City every quarter.But his journey to get here hasn’t been easy, growing up in Wichita, Kansas as one of five siblings.
He later graduated from college and was recruited to work for a global agency in Chicago. He’s now turning his life lessons and struggles to inspire others in a city he now calls home, working with different community groups and organizations to take action and to spark conversations about representation.