Skip to content

featuring historical research, writing, and media at st. mary's university

  • World History

    World History

    Menu
    • World History
    • Pre-Classical History (to 600 BCE)
    • Classical History (600 BCE-600 CE)
    • Post-Classical History (600 CE-1492 CE)
    • Early Modern History (1492-1789)
    • Modern History (1789-1914)
    • Global History (1900-present)

    From the Ancient World

    The Battle of Zama: Rome's Vengeance

    Posted by Davis Nickle12/01/2020

    From the Modern World

    The Holy See Takes On The Fight Against Climate Change

    Posted by Victor Rodriguez11/30/2020

    Regional Histories

    Menu
    • African and African American Studies
    • Latin American Studies
  • US History

    Early America

    Menu
    • US-Three Worlds Meet (to 1620)
    • US-Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)
    • US-Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)
    • US-Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)
    • US-Civil War & Reconstruction (1850-1877)

    Remembering Ranchos De Las Cabras: The Forgotten Outpost of Mission Espada

    Posted by Shine Trabucco05/07/2019

    Olympian Aly Raisman: More than a Survivor, an Advocate!

    Posted by Ashley Martinez11/15/2019

    Jonas Salk: Discovering The Shot that Saved the World - 20th century Polio Virus Epidemic

    Posted by Jeremiah Durand11/13/2019

    ¡Si, Se Puede! – Collective Organizing, Unions, and Non Violent Protests

    Posted by Eric Grant11/19/2020

    Jackie Robinson: An Unexpected Hero of Business and Civil Rights

    Posted by Todd Brauckmiller Jr.11/01/2019

    Ted Kennedy: Reputation Drowns With Victim

    Posted by Charli Delmonico10/16/2019

    Deco Districts and Community Identity: Historic Designation and Preservation of Art Deco Architecture

    Posted by Edgar Velazquez Reynald05/31/2019

    The Courageous Work of Americo Paredes

    Posted by Anthony Coronado05/06/2020

    The Aaron Hernandez Story: Football is More Than Just a Game

    Posted by Luis Arroyos11/13/2019

    Dorothy Kamenshek: Playing ball during WW2

    Posted by Reba Reyes11/18/2020

    San Antonio Royalty: The Reign of the Chili Queen

    Posted by Sara Ramirez04/07/2019

    Innovations From NASA's X-15 Program

    Posted by Nathaniel Bielawski04/21/2020

    Outlaw Road Racing: Taking the Legendary Cannonball Run at Breakneck Speed

    Posted by Stephen Talik05/01/2020

    The Lack of Latinx Access to Proper Mental Care in a Metropolitan County

    Posted by Ángel Velarde11/05/2020

    The Bearded Lady

    Posted by Maya Mani04/07/2019

    Phineas Gage: An Ordinary Man

    Posted by Stephanie Cerda10/02/2019

    The '92 Dream Team: The Team that Changed the Game of Basketball Forever

    Posted by Briley Perkins10/06/2019

    Infamous story of the Beach Boys and Murderous Manic: Charles Manson

    Posted by Mauro Bustamante11/26/2019

    Metallica: The Tragedy Overseas

    Posted by Isaiah Torres05/08/2019

    The Complicated Process of Seeking Asylum in the United States

    Posted by Emilia Caballero Carmona10/29/2020

    The First Social Distancing: Examining the 1995 Heat Wave of Chicago From a Social Perspective

    Posted by Tavion Varela11/09/2020

    Untold Stories of Mexican-American Lynchings

    Posted by Paul Garza12/09/2019

    Drugs, Alcohol, and Arrests: The Downside to Robert Downey Jr.'s Acting Career

    Posted by Nelly Perez03/02/2020

    Bryan Stevenson: Justice in the Deep South

    Posted by Bailey Godwin11/05/2020

    Los Beneficios de los Programas Bilingües en los Estados Unidos

    Posted by Yamilet Muñoz12/02/2020

    William Weber: Attorney In it for Profit

    Posted by Makenzie Santana04/17/2019

    The First Woman Jockey Who made History in a Pari-mutuel Race

    Posted by Kelsey Sanchez11/14/2019

    The Waco Tragedy: David Koresh and The Branch Davidians

    Posted by Victoria Davis12/14/2019

    Nothing keeps Amberley Snyder from getting back on the horse

    Posted by Amariz Puerta04/07/2019

    A Company of Heroes: The Story of the Band of Brothers

    Posted by Amanda Gutierrez11/30/2020

    Contemporary America

    Menu
    • US-Industrial United States (1870-1900)
    • US-Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
    • US-Great Depression & WWII (1929-1945)
    • US-Postwar United States (1945-early 1970s)
    • US-Contemporary United States (1968-present)
  • Themes

    SPICE Categories

    Specialty Categories

    Special Themes

    Menu
    • Social History
    • Political History
    • Environmental History
    • Cultural History
    • Economic History
    Menu
    • Art History
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Gender Studies
    • Human Rights
    • Public Health and Medicine
    • International Relations
    • Linguistics
    Menu
    • Military History
    • Music
    • People
    • Psychology
    • Religion
    • Science & Technology
    • Sports
    Menu
    • Catholic Heritage
    • The Year 1968
    • COVID-19
    • Social Justice
    • Spanish Language
  • Showcase

    Showcase Editions

    • Vol 1 – 2016
      • Vol 1 No 1 Aug-Sep 2016
      • Vol 1 No 2 Oct-Nov 2016
    • Vol 2 – 2017
      • Vol 2 No 1 Jan-Feb 2017
      • Vol 2 No 2 Mar-Apr 2017
      • Vol 2 No 3 Aug-Sep 2017
      • Vol 2 No 4 Oct-Nov 2017
    • Vol 3 – 2018
      • Vol 3 No 1 Jan-Feb 2018
      • Vol 3 No 2 Mar-Apr 2018
      • Vol 3 No 3 Aug-Sep 2018
      • Vol 3 No 4 Oct-Nov 2018
    • Vol 4 – 2019
      • Vol 4 No 1 Jan-Feb 2019
      • Vol 4 No 2 Mar-Apr 2019
      • Vol 4 No 3 Aug-Sep 2019
      • Vol 4 No 4 Oct-Nov 2019
    • Vol 5 – 2020
      • Vol 5 No 1 Jan-Feb 2020
      • Vol 5 No 2 Mar-Apr 2020
      • Vol 5 No 3 Aug-Sep 2020
    Menu
    • Vol 1 – 2016
      • Vol 1 No 1 Aug-Sep 2016
      • Vol 1 No 2 Oct-Nov 2016
    • Vol 2 – 2017
      • Vol 2 No 1 Jan-Feb 2017
      • Vol 2 No 2 Mar-Apr 2017
      • Vol 2 No 3 Aug-Sep 2017
      • Vol 2 No 4 Oct-Nov 2017
    • Vol 3 – 2018
      • Vol 3 No 1 Jan-Feb 2018
      • Vol 3 No 2 Mar-Apr 2018
      • Vol 3 No 3 Aug-Sep 2018
      • Vol 3 No 4 Oct-Nov 2018
    • Vol 4 – 2019
      • Vol 4 No 1 Jan-Feb 2019
      • Vol 4 No 2 Mar-Apr 2019
      • Vol 4 No 3 Aug-Sep 2019
      • Vol 4 No 4 Oct-Nov 2019
    • Vol 5 – 2020
      • Vol 5 No 1 Jan-Feb 2020
      • Vol 5 No 2 Mar-Apr 2020
      • Vol 5 No 3 Aug-Sep 2020
  • About

    Course Readings

    Article Indexes

    About Us

    Menu
    • Course Readings – SC 3300 – Nash
    • Course Readings – SMC 1301 – Wieck
    • Course Readings – PO 4334 – Dr Celine
    • Course Readings _ PO 3365 – Dr Celine
    Menu
    • Course Readings – HS 2321 – Whitener
    • Course Readings – HS 2322 – Whitener
    • Course Readings – SMC 1301 – Whitener
    Menu
    • Our Article/Author Index
    • Award Winning Articles
    Menu
    • Our StMU History Media Project
    • Our Faculty Consultants
    • Our Writers
    • Contact Us
  • Business, COVID-19, Economic History, Environmental History, Explanatory Article, Journalistic Explanatory, People, United States History, US-Contemporary United States (1968-present)
  • October 22, 2020

Mike Nguyen: The Struggle Of a Restaurant Owner During COVID-19

Closed due to the Corona-virus pandemic | Courtesy of duncan
Closed due to the Corona-virus pandemic | Courtesy of duncan
Alyssa Ramos

Alyssa Ramos

Chef Mike Nguyen grew up in Huntington Beach, California with his sister who raised him after his mother passed away. With a football injury, Nguyen began to think about a culinary career. After college, with zero culinary experience, he began working in chef Wolfgang Puck’s Washington, D.C. restaurant. His position at the restaurant allowed him to travel, and he ended up relocating to San Antonio to be closer to his family. His niece passed away and his family moved back to California, so he left the kitchen to focus on coaching job opportunities. Then Nguyen was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer, which was one of many setbacks for him. He decided he was serious about creating something of his own, and so he launched a food truck in early 2018. With that experience, he was then on track to opening his own restaurant. On January 11, 2019, on his mother’s birthday, Mike Nguyen opened The Noodle Tree. The 72-seater ramen shop delivers sweet, savory, and spicy flavors by a dedicated staff.1 When the Coronavirus pandemic hit Texas, Mike Nguyen went on CNN to discuss the struggles he was facing.2

Coronavirus structure | Courtesy of Wikipedia

The COVID-19 virus, or the Coronavirus, is an infectious disease that was first identified in Wuhan, China. This disease has spread throughout the world, infecting millions of people worldwide. An infected person will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness that could be fatal to certain groups of people. Symptoms that may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus can be fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.3 On March 13, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbot declared that COVID-19 is a statewide public health disaster. He recommended for Texans to limit group activities and only go out when needed. On March 15, 2020, the first known Texan died from the new coronavirus, and Texans began to panic. The grocery stores were left empty of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, hand soap, and virus killing cleaning products. Limitations were put in place to allow more Texans to be able to get what they needed, and certain store operation hours changed to allow different groups of people to shop. Governor Abbot shut down Texas dine-in restaurants and bars on March 19, 2020, allowing restaurants to remain open in Togo delivery.4 Restaurants with no take-out area had to remain closed, which caused them to lose large amounts of profit. Some restaurants were not able to survive the shutdown order and had to close permanently. From March 19 to April 6, the coronavirus pandemic had 19% of Texas restaurants close permanently. That is 1 in 5 Texas restaurants forced to shut down permanently because they were not able to survive the harsh conditions.5 Many restaurants lost large amounts of profit and thousands of workers became unemployed at a rapid pace.

“You’re battling cancer yourself, your grandmother died from coronavirus, just what you’re dealing with right now is overwhelming… At the same time, you’re dealing with a business that you can’t keep shut much longer.” Mike Nguyen was asked by the CNN anchor Erin Burnett about his decision to keep his restaurant closed. On May 1, 2020, Greg Abbott allowed all Texas restaurants to open dine-in at 25% occupancy, with some restrictions and operations.6 “I would feel bad if something bad happened to [the guests] or if they had to go through what I’m going through right now, trying to grieve… At the same time, I have a financial responsibility to run this business.” With Chef Mike Nguyen dealing with many problems in his own life, he thought it was best to keep his ramen restaurant closed, even if governor Greg Abbott allowed restaurants to partially reopen. Nguyen argued the 25% occupancy limit required is not feasible from a financial standpoint. It meant that only 14 customers could eat at once in his 72 seat restaurant. “You get 25% of your restaurant business, but you have to do 100% of the rent,” Nguyen stated during his interview on CNN. “On top of [the staff], you have to bring in the equipment that ensures the safety of the guests… things that we are having a hard time getting ahold of right now.”7 During the beginning of the chaos caused by COVID-19, it was hard for store and restaurant owners to get their hands on masks and gloves for their workers. Saving lives, and helping his own, was worth more to Nguyen than a profit.

Take Out Available (In Explore) Sign in a New York deli | Courtesy of Flickr

At the beginning of 2020, one out of every ten working Texans was employed in the restaurant industry.8 This means that one out of every ten working Texans were employed as cooks, prep cooks, servers, take-out servers, food expeditors, bartenders, hosts, dishwashers, and restaurant management. Forced closure of business, caused by the effects of the Coronavirus, has taken a toll on people’s ability to work across the income distribution. More people became unemployed, which caused the number of welfare recipients to rise, and structural pressures made the welfare state more expensive. It has led to modifications in specific social insurance payments and increased demand for sick pay among workers.9 Those who have been exposed or could potentially have COVID-19 are advised to remain home from work for two weeks and sometimes with no pay.10 A survey shows that six months after the first shutdown of restaurants, nearly 3 million restaurant employees were still out of work.11

As more people became unemployed, the need for benefits increased, causing a busy period for The Texas Health and Human Services Commission. On March 28, 2020, The Texas Health and Human Services Commission got federal permission to extend SNAP and Medicaid coverage. On April 1, 2020 Unemployment benefits were delayed because of an overload, and food aid (EBT) was extended to families until August 21 to help provide aid to more families.12 In July 2019, Texas had hit a near-record low with a 3.5% unemployment rate, and in June 2020, 8.4% of Texans were unemployed.13

Restaurant seating | Courtesy of Hallenser

Mike Nguyen’s treatment for his lymphoma cancer would last anywhere between 4 to 16 weeks, depending on how his body reacts.14 In the interview with CNN, Nguyen assured his customers that the restaurant will be up and running again. “Next time y’all see me, it will be a healthy version of me.”15 The Noodle Tree opened again for carryout on October 1, 2020. The restaurant planned to be open Thursday through Sunday, and customers were encouraged to order online using the ordering system on The Noodle Tree’s website.16

On October 1, 2020, after the reopening of The Noodle Tree, Mike Nguyen turned to the restaurant’s Instagram noodletreetx to describe how the first day of take-out only went. The post stated that he expected for the day to turn out the way it did, since it was the first day for his staff and as he is a bit rusty. Overall, he felt blessed and humbled for the amount of support from the guests. He then went back on Instagram on Monday, October 19, 2020, to announce the plan to reopen the dine-in portion of The Noodle Tree, which was scheduled for November 5, 2020. He wrote, “Yes, most of us can have recovered from covid but that’s like saying it’s ok to give y’all food poisoning bc you won’t die from it.” Mike Nguyen clearly didn’t want to be part of the problem, and he wanted to do what was right for the San Antonio community, “Even if that meant losing the restaurant.” We hope for a healthy recovery for Chef Nguyen and his restaurant, The Noodle Tree.

I cannot express enough gratitude to Professors Guillermo Martinez and Bradford Whitener for their continued support and encouragement. I offer my sincere appreciation for the learning opportunities provided through this project. I would also like to thank Daniela Durán for her guidance in the project proposal stage and for reviewing my outline. Once again, I would like to thank Dr. Whitener. I thank him for giving me such a wonderful opportunity that helped me grow as a writer and as a person.

  1. Lea Thompson, “Here to Win: Chef Mike Nguyen Scores a Victory with His Ramen-Focused Noodle Tree,” San Antonio Current (San Antonio Current, May 17, 2020), https://www.sacurrent.com/Flavor/archives/2019/07/17/here-to-win-chef-mike-nguyen-scores-a-victory-with-his-ramen-focused-noodle-tree. ↵
  2. Nina Rangel, “San Antonio Chef Appears on CNN to Speak About COVID-19’s Impact on His Business and Health,” San Antonio Current (San Antonio Current, June 30, 2020), https://www.sacurrent.com/Flavor/archives/2020/05/05/san-antonio-chef-appears-on-cnn-to-speak-about-covid-19s-impact-on-his-business-and-health?utm_source=widget. ↵
  3. “Coronavirus,” World Health Organization (website), 2020, https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus. ↵
  4. Elvia Limón, “Here’s How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Unfolded in Texas since March,” The Texas Tribune, 31 July 2020, www.texastribune.org/2020/07/31/coronavirus-timeline-texas/. ↵
  5. Christie Moffat, “Nearly 1 In 5 Texas Restaurants Forced To Close Because Of Coronavirus,” Bisnow (website), April 28, 2020, https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/retail/nearly-1-in-5-texas-restaurants-forced-to-close-because-of-coronavirus-104134. ↵
  6. Elvia Limón, “Here’s How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Unfolded in Texas since March,” The Texas Tribune, 31 July 2020, www.texastribune.org/2020/07/31/coronavirus-timeline-texas/. ↵
  7. Kolten Parker, “San Antonio Chef Fighting Cancer: Dining Room to Remain Closed, ‘Money Not Worth Losing Lives over’,” KSAT News (online), (KSAT San Antonio, May 2, 2020), https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/05/02/san-antonio-chef-fighting-cancer-dining-room-to-remain-closed-money-not-worth-losing-lives-over/. ↵
  8. Christie Moffat, “Nearly 1 In 5 Texas Restaurants Forced To Close Because Of Coronavirus,” Bisnow, April 28, 2020, https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/retail/nearly-1-in-5-texas-restaurants-forced-to-close-because-of-coronavirus-104134. ↵
  9. Jeevun Sandher and Hanna Kleider, “COVID-19 could change the welfare state forever,” June 2020, World Economic Forum (website), https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/06/coronavirus-welfare-state-covid19/. ↵
  10. John Hellerstedt, “Checklist For Restaurants,” September 2020, Texas Health and Human Service, https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus/opentexas.aspx. ↵
  11. “1 In 6 Restaurants In US Remain Closed Due To Coronavirus,” CE Noticias Financieras English, September 15 2020. ↵
  12. Elvia Limón, “Here’s How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Unfolded in Texas since March,” The Texas Tribune, 31 July 2020, www.texastribune.org/2020/07/31/coronavirus-timeline-texas/. ↵
  13. James Bernsen, “Texas Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.8 Percent in August,” September 2020, Texas Workforce Commission, https://www.twc.texas.gov/texas-unemployment-rate-falls-68-percent-august. ↵
  14. Nina Rangel, “Chef Behind San Antonio’s Noodle Tree Will Close Restaurant to Focus on Lymphoma Treatment,” San Antonio Current (San Antonio Current, May 22, 2020), https://www.sacurrent.com/Flavor/archives/2020/05/13/chef-behind-san-antonios-noodle-tree-will-close-restaurant-to-focus-on-lymphoma-treatment. ↵
  15. Erica Hernandez, “San Antonio Chef Closes Restaurant to Continue Cancer Treatment,” KSAT News (website), (KSAT San Antonio, May 17, 2020), https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2020/05/16/san-antonio-chef-closes-restaurant-to-continue-cancer-treatment/. ↵
  16. Nina Rangel, “San Antonio Ramen Shop Noodle Tree to Reopen for Takeout Service While It Expands Patio Footprint,” San Antonio Current (San Antonio Current, October 1, 2020), https://www.sacurrent.com/Flavor/archives/2020/09/30/san-antonio-ramen-shop-noodle-tree-to-reopen-for-takeout-service-while-it-expands-patio-footprint. ↵

Tags from the story

  • Coronavirus, COVID-10, Mike Nguyen, The Noodle Tree Restaurant

Share this post

Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on pinterest
Share on print
Share on email
Alyssa Ramos

Alyssa Ramos

I am a Business Management major at St. Mary’s University, in San Antonio, Texas, class of 2024. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, but I moved to San Antonio 3 years ago and I call it my new home. I enjoy working and helping people grow, which is why I want to manage my own restaurant one day. Outside of work, I also enjoy spending time with my family and friends and I love being out in nature.
Author Portfolio Page

This Post Has 29 Comments

  1. Avatar
    Julia Aleman 27 Feb 2021 Reply

    This is a great article showing someone’s personal experience as a business owner throughout COVID. When I read about the dates when everything shut down and about the stores, I got instant flashbacks. It was hard for me to imagine what other people were going through but reading about people’s personal experiences like this shows just how much of an impact this pandemic made on people.

  2. Avatar
    Maria Moreno 22 Feb 2021 Reply

    Hi, Alyssa
    This story was very touching, Its been almost a year and sadly, many businesses have closed since then. The unemployment rate dropped so much and many people were struggling financially, we’re doing a lot better now but it is obviously still not the same.Chef Mike Nguyen’s story has so much power because he went through so much and thankfully he was able to survive it all.

  3. Emilia Caballero Carmona
    Emilia Caballero Carmona 9 Feb 2021 Reply

    Hey Alyssa! I loved reading your article, the story of chef Mike Nguyen is so touching and I’m glad you wrote your article on his story. It is truly sad that the COVID-19 pandemic not only affected the health of millions of people, but also their economic status and even their small businesses they put so much effort in. I’m happy to read that The Noodle Tree has reopened.

  4. Avatar
    Eric Hernandez 7 Feb 2021 Reply

    This was a very inspiring story especially because I am a business major and it really took a toll to see a lot of small businesses suffer because of the pandemic. I was very impressed to read how Mr. Nguyen went on an emotional roller coaster while also battling cancer, to coming out swinging and keeping his dream and his restaurant alive. I was also very impressed of how humble he stayed and how he was aware of what this situation was bringing to the community.

  5. Avatar
    Carlos Cortes 24 Jan 2021 Reply

    This article really hit home to me as I currently work in the food industry and saw my uncle struggle with his own small business restaurant. During this pandemic it really did hit them hard, and yes there were a lot of grants and support from the government but sadly there are still many closing like you said. And the bad thing is that the ones closing are mostly those small business that cannot stay open while many chain restaurants and large corporations have remained open and even seen great increase in profits.

  6. Avatar
    Hoa Vo 24 Jan 2021 Reply

    The corona pandemic had brought nothing but overloaded damage to our property, mental and health. Thank you for showing the data of the actual loss that most restaurant businesses are burdened, and in here was chef Mike Nguyen. It was heartbreaking to see how hard it was for chef Mike Nguyen to run a restaurant in the pandemic while fighting his lymphoma cancer. I have respect for his greatness and fortitude.

  7. Avatar
    Ian Mcewen 24 Jan 2021 Reply

    it is a shame that most small businesses are negatively affected by this, while large corporations have seen growth due to the pandemic. I have some fears about the growth of large corporations leading to international monopolies that will be next to impossible to dislodge due to jurisdictional problems. the loss of income among a large amount of the population may lead to more pressure on a weakened system with infighting.

  8. Avatar
    Jacy Hornsby 22 Jan 2021 Reply

    I must say I was expecting an article depicting the racism that Asian-American restaurant owners face during this pandemic. This was a great depiction of how businesses are affected by this issue and the decision making process battle that many face between ensuring safety for themselves and others or financially holding yourself together by threads.

  9. Avatar
    Alexandria Garcia 28 Nov 2020 Reply

    This article was very raw and real for American business owners and employees. However, with a slight ease on the pandemic it is important to support local businesses near and far if possible. Especially during the holidays and black Friday etc. It is important to do so safely though to stop the spread and keep as many people safe and corona-free as possible.

Comments navigation

Previous commentPrevious

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

StMU History Media

A Student Organization of St. Mary's University of San Antonio Texas

Sponsors

  • College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, St. Mary's University
  • Department of History, St. Mary's University
  • Department of Political Science, St. Mary's University
  • Center for Catholic Studies, St. Mary's University

Support Services

  • The Learning Assistance Center, St. Mary's University
  • Louis J. Blume Library Services, St. Mary's University
  • STRIVE Career Center, St. Mary's University
  • Academic Technology Services, St. Mary's University

About

  • About Us
  • Our Authors
  • Our Archive
  • Contacts

© All rights reserved

Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest