The Mission Street Food
2234 Mission St
(Lung Shan Restaurant)
-Cash only
-No reservations (first come, first served)
-Corkage fee: $5
-Contact: submit guest chef proposals at missionstreetfood@gmail.comfood
-Time: Thursdays, 6pm-midnight
-Blog: Mission Street Food

Problem: talented chefs, because of high restaurant start up costs are not able to share their creations
Solution: find budget rent spots, build an audience, expand

In a recent article in SFGate by Chris Colins properly titled “Don’t want to open a restaurant? Take over someone else’s,” the article vibrantly features an innovative chef.

Anthony Myint (30) wanted to share his creations such as pork belly and jicama but did not have a retail stores. Thinking out of the box, he started serving his fusion delights in a food cart named Antojitos San Miguel Food Cart.

As his “cult” following expanded through word of mouth and food bloggers, he rented out an unused Chinese restaurant Lung Shan.

For viewers who have dreams of opening a restaurant or bakery, never let money stop you.

In the past, I have helped my boss open a Alohana Hawaiian Grill, a fast food restaurant in Berkeley.

Here is the list we needed:
-Find investors
-Build a website
-Hire professionals such as accountants, architects, engineers
-File permits with the city
-Invest a few hundred thousand dollars
-About three month build out time

But, we missed the spot.

Instead, focus on the core (food + community):
Anthony Myint focused on the food. All the while, he can get immediate feedback from his customers serving his delights out of his food cart. Was it too spicy? Was the dish priced too high?

By serving satisfied customers, they become your best cheerleaders and they will share their experience through word or mouth. People trust their friends the most. His websites also build community by donating profits to great charities.

With over 5,000 restaurants in San Francisco, it is rare to find someone as innovative as Anthony Myint.