People always spread the saying “don’t choose leisure when you’re young”. Coincidentally, this is also the life motto of the owner of the Refined cafe.
Appearing from the beginning of 2021, Refined. attention because the dishes are not priced, customers can pay as much as they want. The shop has maintained this business form for more than 1 year now, and what retains customers is the enthusiasm of owner Tu Vu.
He likes dark colors, the wardrobe has only a few identical sets, the shop is also painted all black and has only 8 seats. Everything is so minimalistic, to save time and mind creating the best quality Robusta coffee…
– Before becoming the boss of Refined, what job did you do?
I study business administration and have a practicing certificate of accounting and auditing. In 2013, I graduated and worked as an auditor for 2 years in Hanoi. By the time of 2015, I was interested in investment banking, so I decided to go to Saigon to look for opportunities.
I thought that when I was young, I had health, had a “blood” level, sometimes a little bit reckless. Therefore, stable things are not suitable, I want to go find something better and more novel.
The job in Saigon is very good from income, promotion opportunities, colleagues to leadership… However, I think I need to find the hidden thing in myself, challenge myself and decide to quit.
At that time, I was quite an introvert and had not tried all my abilities. During this period, I worked out both my physical and emotional body and practiced running a marathon.
– After leaving the office and starting to practice running a marathon, how has your personality changed?
Running a marathon has changed me a lot. Before that, I thought running 42 km was unthinkable, it was equivalent to going from the center of Hanoi to Noi Bai and back. I don’t think I can do it myself and why in the world can anyone do it. It wasn’t until I did some research that I knew it was possible.
Because I was young, I was very curious about the world, seeing many strange things. When I visit many places, I realize that there are still many things I do not know. This became my motivation to quit my job, run a marathon, and travel.
During my work, I saved a small amount. When traveling, I completely stop working and just focus on fitness, running marathons and exploring the world. Wherever I go, I practice running.
– During the time of temporarily putting aside all work to travel, where have you been?
I went to Singapore, Malaysia, 40 days in the US and Cuba… I also set foot in Bhutan. During that journey, I realized that each place has its own interesting points, but one place that reminds me the most is Bali.
That transition period helped me discover many things and have a huge turning point, which is becoming a basketball player. One day, while wandering on the sea, I happened to see a Vietnamese professional basketball team recruiting players. That’s when I had the idea “why don’t I try?”.
When I was young, I played this sport and had a dream to compete at a high level. Immediately, I applied with the hope of playing and experiencing life as a player at Thang Long Warriors. Fortunately and beyond imagination, I was able to compete with my teammates and win gold in the Vietnam professional basketball tournament – VBA.
– Being able to live the dream and have achieved success, why did you choose to quit the competition and not continue to pursue it?
From the very beginning I identified it as a dream come true experience. But the reality is that there is a gap between dreams and possibilities. I think I can play basketball well, but I can only stop at playing to satisfy my passion. It is not enough to compete with the professional environment.
At the end of 2017, after taking a break from the football team, I returned to Hanoi and continued to work in finance until 2020. When Covid broke out, I had the opportunity to study and pursue coffee.
– Starting from zero, what did you do to get the cup of coffee like today?
That said, it’s a process. When I was still an office worker, I drank 2-3 cups of coffee/day, while I was a rather picky person. When the epidemic situation is complicated, I make my own at home. After researching, I realized that the quality of the coffee cup changed due to the input materials. So I signed up for a coffee roasting course. In the early days, I roasted coffee right in my bedroom because I was lucky enough to have a friend lent me the machine. Then I traveled around the Central Highlands to find the ideal coffee bean.
Previously, I did not pay attention to Robusta beans until I enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee beyond my imagination. Then I discovered that it’s not bad in nature, the problem lies in the fact that we do not know how to properly process it to exploit its delicious taste. Besides, I want to change 3 stereotypes about traditional coffee which are:
– Coffee must be seasoned;
– Must be deep roasted to have a delicious taste;
Robusta is an inexpensive coffee bean.
In fact, the price of Fine Robusta beans is not cheap, it is even 2-3 times more expensive than regular coffee. Currently Refined. use 100% Robusta beans to make filter.
I am a person who is careful with numbers. The coffee cup that people are enjoying is a product that has undergone more than 500 “validation” times. With the same nut, I got to try a lot of different roasts and send them out to friends to try. Then I adjusted and sent it to ask for feedback from people who have experienced it.
When the product is perfect, people buy more. My coffee has been sold online all over Vietnam and sent to many international friends. My friends in the US or Canada all say that they wish to enjoy a cup of Vietnamese coffee like this. For guests nearby, I am willing to come to the place to guide the preparation so that everyone can try and introduce Robusta beans.
– Having worked for more than 3 years in Saigon, why did you choose to return to open a restaurant in Hanoi?
I myself used to live in Saigon and feel that I fit the rhythm of life more in it. However, my family is in Hanoi, for convenience of traveling and doing business, I chose to stop in my hometown.
Once passing the Temple of Literature, I accidentally saw a notice to rent a shop. I wasn’t confident at the time, but after chatting with the host, I decided to open Refined. here.
– When you first started, were you afraid of losing capital or facing any big difficulties?
In the beginning, I mainly went into R&D to get customers’ opinions, so I wasn’t too concerned with profit issues. The biggest expenditure is money for going to school, buying equipment but not much… My capital is mainly from saving during working time. At that time, I just thought I had to do 100% and put all my heart into it.
I have faith that if my product is good, the money will come sooner or later. With my method, I am confident that I will attract customers, the problem is whether I have the determination to pursue it or not. Just like running a marathon, just go in the right way and in the right direction and you will definitely reach the finish line one day.
In life there are many opportunities to come, I think part is due to luck. However, the most important thing is how we accept it and whether we are serious, fierce and have faith in it.
For a young person, especially a startup, difficulties are inevitable. Each stage has its own difficulties, most of which cannot be named. I myself am a person who does not like to sit and talk about suffering. When I have a problem, I will think of a way to solve it first, persistently solving it will be fine.
There are many different brands of coffee on the market today. Have you ever thought about competing or having a competitor?
My point is that there is no competitor. My goal is to spread the appeal of Robusta beans to as many people as possible. The more customers, the better the production source side. So if a lot of people do it too, it’s worth it.
To me, the story that spreads the trend is like the chicken and the egg. To make a standard coffee bean, the farmer takes a lot of work. I am the middleman, introduce to the customer and then come back to solve the output problem.
I think everything that exists has its logic, the story is how we mix it. The coffee roaster is the chef. You can buy good ingredients, but to make a delicious dish, you need good technique to get good results.
I used to work with numbers before. So I work and track everything with specific numbers to ensure the finished coffee beans have the most consistent quality. That is also the meaning of the word “Refined”.
Only when distilling and taking care of each small step can the product achieve the highest quality. You also need to maintain consistent quality, it is not possible to say today that you will do well and not tomorrow. Every day I get a little better is the life view that I want to spread to everyone.
– How does the mood-based coffee business affect revenue?
I opened the shop in April 2021, coinciding with the outbreak of the epidemic. It can be said that the past year was full of difficulties, the shop opened and closed continuously. However, the time of translation is also a good opportunity because then people appreciate coffee more.
Obviously in life it will not be possible to avoid this or that person. However, after a period of maintaining the business of paying depending on the mood, I still collected a certain number. In the early days, sales were average. My point is that if done well, people will appreciate the product and be willing to pay the price.
Initially, I did not intend to start a self-pay business. In the early days, I opened the shop with the purpose of inviting people to try coffee, the menu was only black and brown. Later the customer offered to pay.
The creation of a box is also the idea of a friend and gradually forms a culture. Doing it this way helps me not to worry too much about the operation and have time to focus on research and creation.
– I have the mindset of wanting to spread the new coffee culture to everyone, but the space is limited, even once customers had to return because they ran out of seats. Does that contradict each other?
I aim to do everything I can. The change does not have to be something too big, but just spreads every day, then gradually people will know more.
Good things need to be replicated, but that doesn’t mean “I have to change the world”. The more depth, the more time it takes to “soak”. Currently I am still young, even decades to pursue this path, so there is no need to rush.
When people know how to brew, people will appreciate the barista and coffee beans more. Obviously, even if you know how to cook, you will still eat out. According to my observations, people who cook better are more likely to eat well. When I make quality products, I don’t have to worry about losing customers.
– At the age of 30, you used to be an employee and now you are a boss, what is the difference in your income in these two positions?
In the early days of the business, the income was much lower than that of an office job. When starting a business, you cannot pay yourself too much. Up to now, the job is better and the income is gradually coming into orbit.
Any location has its beauty. As an employee, I have the concept of giving my best. Because I get paid, I have to bring value to people myself.
When I returned to be the boss, I had to think about what I could do for the employees. Right now I need to think about everyone else’s future, not just my own. It is a long journey and it takes time.
I want my employees to learn as much as possible, so that I have time to do the more difficult things. Stores may open 1-2, but finding a conscientious employee is extremely difficult.
I believe that doing anything needs a roadmap and foundation. When you want to go further and create more, you must first meet the needs of daily life.
Going to work for someone else certainly won’t have as much pressure as working for yourself. When I work part-time, I can work 15-16 hours a day. Opening a shop by myself, sometimes I have to work all day, from the moment I open my eyes to the end of the day, I still have concerns in my head.
Each position has its own pros and cons. From the perspective of being an owner, I see that the first thing I get is the joy of doing what I love. Behind that is being able to create many other values that were not necessarily available before.
– Looking back on the past, do you have any regrets or want to change anything?
Honestly, I don’t have time to sit back and look back at the past. There is still a lot of work ahead and in the future. I will never make assumptions “if I can choose again” but only “what will I do tomorrow” and “what problem should I solve in the immediate future”. What to do is live for the present and the future.
The past is sometimes just a time for me to look back, contemplate my own change and growth, appreciate the present more and be a driving force for the future.
I think in the next five years, if we’re still doing well, Refined. will have a definite place in the hearts of everyone. I wish to maintain and bring the long-standing traditional beauty not only to Vietnamese people but also to friends around the world. But first, the Vietnamese themselves must be proud of our coffee beans.
I think that just trying 100%, you can get there, as long as you try your best. I used to have the “thinking too much” disease without doing anything. Now, think less to start doing, what is needed will come.
– Do you have something to say to everyone, especially young people who want to quit their jobs to start-up?
Freelancing outside is very hard, but everything has its beauty. If you want to start a business, if you have an idea, start doing it, if it’s wrong, then correct it. If you just sit around and draw up a 5-10 year plan, nothing will come true. To go far, you need to take action, improve step by step. As long as today is better than yesterday, sooner or later the destination will be reached.
In some situations we need flexibility to survive. You have to live to grow. And later, at a certain time, we will need longer plans but have to wait for the right opportunity.
Money is important, but the problem is how we make it. When all the basic requirements of life cannot be met, passion cannot be talked about. Step 1 is to need “enough to eat” to be able to calculate further.
Money is necessary but it only stops at the foundation role. Once you’ve overcome your basic needs, the next step is to think about what you can do meaningfully. If you have a lot of money and do things that are against your conscience or do a job you don’t like, then you will still be unhappy. When you do well what you like, the money will come on its own, sometimes if you plan a lot, you will end up empty-handed.
Source: CafeF
Source: Vietnam Insider