This winter, meet some of the local small business owners who are participating in Shop Fishers on the This is Fishers blog. We sat down with Carlos Arias, owner of Chao Vietnamese Street Food to learn more about their business and what shopping small means to them.
Chao Vietnamese Street Food*
7854 E. 96th Street
December Hours: Monday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. & 4 – 8 p.m.
Offers carryout
Shop Fishers Deal: Receive 10% off when you mention Shop Fishers.
Tell us about your business.
We serve Vietnamese Street Food! We’ve been in business for six years at our location on 96th Street. We are known for our flavorful dishes – we serve everything from Pork Bahn Mi to Bún bò Huế!, a traditional dish from Huế, a central city of Vietnam. It’s like Phở, but spicy, with lemongrass and pork, and thicker noodles. We are also Fishers residents and we love the community.
What makes your business unique?
One great thing is that we use mostly all Indiana products, from meats to vegetables. We like to keep things traditional, but we also like to experiment and innovate with Vietnamese flavors, French techniques, and lots of international flavors. For instance, one of our fusion dishes is Vietnamese tacos or Chinese-style bao buns with Vietnamese flavors.
What inspired you to start a business?
I’ve been a chef, cook, dishwasher, server, and everything you can think of in a restaurant. Once my partner introduced me to Vietnamese food, I was hooked and knew I had to start a restaurant. It’s so healthy and flavorful, we just had to share it with Indiana!
What is your favorite thing about running a small business?
The community! We love interacting with people and being able to provide food to neighbors and visitors that is both tasty and healthy.
Why is it important to shop small this holiday season?
We live and work in Fishers, and we are from the same community using local Indiana resources. Everything that we sell and make is based in our own community.
See the rest of the Shop Fishers deals here.