Summary
Most restaurants don’t survive their first year. This one won five awards in it. Including back-to-back People’s Choice titles and a top finish for Best Asian Business in the entire state of Arkansas.
Maria Smith left a long corporate career (including years at Sam’s Club) to open Lasang Pinoy with her brother, bringing Filipino cuisine, and Filipino karaoke culture, to Northwest Arkansas.
In this episode, she breaks down the history behind the cuisine, the real financial and emotional challenges of opening a restaurant, why one specific karaoke song is banned from the building, and her dream of franchising the concept nationwide.
Chapters
00:20 Welcome & Meet Maria Smith
01:46 Maria’s Origin Story: From the Philippines to Arkansas
03:06 One Year In: Awards & Milestones
04:58 The Rich History Behind Filipino Cuisine
07:06 Why Northwest Arkansas Connects with Filipino Food
07:36 Karaoke Nights: Go Bananas & Go Coconuts
09:23 The Golden Mic Karaoke Championship
10:00 The One Song Banned From Filipino Karaoke
11:55 Running a Restaurant with Family
14:50 Building the Right Team
16:07 The Power of Small Details
18:11 Biggest Challenges: Cash Flow & Emotional Endurance
21:21 Giving Back to the Community
24:14 The Future: Franchising Filipino Food Nationwide
Connect
Learn more about Lasang Pinoy: https://lasangpinoynwa.com/
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English 
Spanish 
Korean