3 Atlanta women turning family recipes into business opportunities

Whether launching a Vietnamese noodle shop and a Mexican pop-up or supporting refugee women in their own food businesses, women from immigrant communities are making a big impact on the Atlanta food scene.

In honor of Women’s History Month, three of them shared their stories of entrepreneurship, grit and work-life balance. As a minority female entrepreneur who sells dumplings and teaches cooking classes, I love to stay connected by reading and sharing stories of other women in the hospitality industry. While our stories are all different, they share some common challenges and goals.

Trang Vu, Owner of LBU Saigon

Trang Vu’s father, Dan Minh Vu, had a dream that was more than 20 years in the making — to own a noodle shop. It became a reality when he brought Vietnamese noodle-making machines home to the United States. Vu recalled their family’s determination in taking the plunge, adamant the time was now or never after her father received a stage 2 stomach cancer diagnosis, followed by treatment and eventually remission in 2021. Trang Vu and her sisters went door-to-door selling noodles to any restaurant interested and helped their dad work out of a shared kitchen for a few years until expanding to a storefront in the spring of 2025, which they named LBU Saigon.

Banh cuon is one of LBU Saigon's signature menu items. It's made with ground pork-filled rice sheets, topped with ham and an egg roll. (Courtesy of Winnie Nguyen)

LBU is an acronym for Lo Banh Uot, which translates to “steamed rice sheet factory.” Their storefront distributes fresh packaged noodles to stores such as Hong Kong Supermarket and sells various pho noodle soups and signature items like banh cuon (steamed rice rolls filled with ground pork) to in-store customers.

Trang recently left her accounting job to work full-time at LBU.

“I was having a really hard time trying to balance my day-to-day work, literally working 24/7, so I decided to resign. That way I can focus on building the business and giving it my all to try to grow,” she explained.

She also shared the challenges of running a niche business, such as not being able to get all of the ingredients at one shop, and having to make trips to two or three stores to handpick produce before heading into LBU. And because their noodles are made fresh daily, they only have the capacity to be open four days a week, Thursdays through Sundays.

LBU Saigon’s dedication to quality and freshness is apparent in the rave reviews by customers touting their shop on ATL Asian Eats, a 43,000-plus member private Facebook group. It was within that online platform where Vu said their shop went viral.

Pho bo cuon (pho beef rolls) from LBU Saigon. (Courtesy of Winnie Nguyen)

“The community has been super supportive because of my dad’s (dream), and because we’re the first shop in Georgia that produces fresh Vietnamese noodles,” Vu said.

LBU Saigon. 3265 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road, Suwanee. 770-299-2959, @lbusaigon

Teresa Martinez is the owner and chef of Buen Provecho, which offers Mexican cuisine through pop-up restaurants and catering. (Teresa Martinez/Courtesy of Buen Provecho)

Teresa Martinez, Owner of Buen Provecho

In October 2024, Teresa Martinez, the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, opened Buen Provecho, a pop-up and catering business offering creative takes on the nostalgic Latin dishes of her childhood in Long Beach, California.

Martinez said that being a child of immigrants ingrained a hustle mentality to work hard, although slowing down and maintaining a healthy work-life balance remains one of the biggest priorities for her.

“I am still in the ‘go hard’ phase of building my new business. And I don’t expect that I will ever not want to have that approach, but I know that it’s not always practical.”

Martinez worried she would face discrimination in the male-dominated hospitality industry, but was pleasantly surprised to find the scene welcoming and supportive. “I’m happy to report that the majority of my interactions have been professional and seemingly unbiased. Plus, the support from fellow women has been unmatched.”

The community support in Atlanta for pop-ups in general helps small businesses like Buen Provecho thrive.

“I couldn’t feel prouder of the Atlanta community. I’ve lived and worked in six states and can honestly say that Atlanta is a place where opportunities are abundant. I think part of Buen Provecho’s success is that it began in Atlanta,” Martinez said.

Sopa de albondigas, a meatball soup, can be found at Buen Provecho pop-up events, like one recently held at Boggs Social. (Teresa Martinez/Courtesy of Buen Provecho)

You can find Buen Provecho popping up in venues such as Boggs Social & Supply. Past menus featured items like Mexican shakshuka, sopa de albondigas (meatball soup) and Buen Provecho’s renowned crunchwraps.

Follow @buenprovechoatl for the latest pop-up schedules and menus.

Mamar Stewart (far left) and Chef's Club members in their shared kitchen space. (Marmar Stewart/Courtesy of Chef's Club)

Marmar Stewart, Entrepreneurship Development Program Manager of Chef’s Club

Since 2022, Marmar Stewart has been managing the Chef’s Club, a program within the Refugee Women’s Network in Decatur. Chef’s Club was created to empower refugee and immigrant women to earn income in the hospitality industry by providing training, mentorship and catering experience for 50 women from countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, Congo, Nepal and more. While the women typically worked in other fields — or could not work at all — in their former countries, participants have the common goal of wanting to start a food business by cooking dishes from their heritage. They may want to sell at farmers markets, provide catering services or teach cooking classes.

Stewart, originally from Iran, has a background in PR and journalism. With her cultural and professional background, she is better able to support immigrants and refugees by communicating the needs and goals of the culinary program, helping both the program and club members thrive.

Chef’s Club encourages its chefs to share their rich cultural heritage through their cooking without the need to compromise the integrity of their dishes.

“Each chef brings her own story, family recipes and traditions to the table, allowing the broader community to experience the diverse flavors and cultures of the world. By sharing their food, these women create connections, foster understanding and inspire others, while turning their talents into tangible opportunities for economic independence,” Stewart said.

Chef's Club participates in weekly farmers' markets in Decatur and Emory markets, as well as Trucking Tuesday at Legacy Park. (Marmar Stewart/Courtesy of Chef's Club)

Chef’s Club provides tools and resources to tackle the numerous obstacles and challenges members face while starting their businesses. For example, Chef’s Club assists with navigating unfamiliar systems and paperwork due to language barriers. Catering opportunities are sought out and assigned by the program, and members work out of a licensed shared kitchen space. This allows women to earn income despite their otherwise limited access to business networks or capital. Chef’s Club even offers help with child care and mentorship with work-life balance. The result: Members gain experience and confidence before eventually continuing their businesses on their own.

“Despite these challenges, the determination and resilience of these women is truly inspiring,” Stewart said.

Like Vu and Martinez, Stewart said they have many supporters here in Atlanta.

“The support from the community has been incredible. Even without any advertising, our services are consistently fully booked. Clients return not only for the food, but for the stories and mission behind it. This encouragement helps our chefs grow in confidence and visibility.”