Deciding to take off his collared shirt to sell coffee on the street helped Mr. Hay earn hundreds of millions of dong each month. After 10 years, he and his wife bought a beautiful piece of land in Hanoi and built a multi-billion house.
Standing on the street selling coffee to… be close to his wife
“Why do you quit your stable, high-paying job and work hard on the streets selling coffee?” Those are the words that Nguyen Van Hay (41 years old, from My Duc, Hanoi) heard from relatives and friends. hinted for a while after he decided to quit his engineering job and return home to be closer to his wife.
In 2005, after graduating from the University of Mining and Geology, Mr. Hay became an engineer at a famous mineral exploitation company in Quang Ninh. An income of 15 million VND/month at that time helped the young man live a comfortable life, but he gave up and returned home to “start over”.
“After getting married, I realized I had to change. I lived in Quang Ninh and my wife lived in Hanoi. The couple had little time together. Having witnessed many broken families because each person was in a different place, I thought “I have to go home and be near my wife so we can both work together to be happy,” Mr. Hay recalled.
At the age of 31, Mr. Hay decided to quit his engineering job, which many people desired. Family and friends could not help but be surprised and regretful for him. Returning to Hanoi, he immediately thought of selling coffee on the street because few people do this business model in the North. Thinking about it, he excitedly started working. He believes that as long as there is will, success will come.
He calculated that compared to opening a shop, selling coffee on the street is convenient, does not cost money to rent premises, tables, chairs or decorations and easily attracts customers if the products are of good quality.
Mr. Hay’s “rice fishing rod” from the early days until now is still quite simple. Old dream car, styrofoam cooler, plastic bottle for ready-made coffee, disposable plastic cups. To promote his brand, he printed additional words around the foam box with the content: “Or coffee, drink it to remember” printed with a phone number. So he went everywhere selling coffee.
“When I first started my business, I sold at Ninh Hiep market, then wandered down to Gia Lam bus station. Wherever customers called, I ran to them and served them on the spot. Having just started a business, I respectfully, Count every cup of coffee you sell.
At night, I sat down to make coffee and taste it myself, some nights I brewed a dozen cups. Seeing that, my wife thought I was crazy,” Mr. Hay said.
After a long time learning about different types of coffee, both selling and researching how to prepare them, Mr. Hay has his own basic formula. Accepting a small profit, he imports good quality ingredients and does not mix them to keep the coffee flavor rich and fragrant for a long time. After 3 years, “Hay coffee” priced at 12,000 VND gradually attracted customers.
“My goal is to sell as much as possible, but the product must be safe and of good quality. Therefore, every time I make a brew, I put myself in the customer’s position to test the coffee and see when I can make a cup of coffee.” The best coffee is sold only then,” the coffee cart owner shared.
Selling a few hundred cups a day, becoming “a tycoon” in my life
Currently at Ninh Hiep market (Gia Lam, Hanoi), no one knows the brand “Hay coffee” and the face of the man with the easy-to-remember name. He is considered a “celebrity” in the coffee world.
Every day, after taking his children to school, he started “standing on the street” selling coffee. At 5:00 p.m., he packed his things to pick up his children. Rainy days as well as sunny days, just seeing Mr. Hay appear will bring thousands of regular customers. On average, Mr. Hay sells 30-35 liters of concentrated coffee every day, equivalent to 400 prepared cups, priced from 12,000-20,000 VND/cup. Revenue 6-7 million VND/day.
In addition, he provides vocational training and shares experiences with many people who want to start a coffee shop. Thanks to that, his income increased significantly, every day he sold 50-70kg of powdered coffee to people doing business under this model.
“Anyone who wants to start a business or run a small business like me, I’m willing to share. The more people succeed, the more powdered coffee I sell, and we all grow together,” Mr. Hay speak.
Despite being popular, Mr. Hay’s coffee still maintains the price of 12,000 VND/cup. “In the past, coffee was considered a luxury drink that only Saigon people could enjoy. Now, when bringing street coffee to the North, I am still committed to maintaining quality and reasonable prices. so that everyone can buy a drink every day,” Mr. Hay thought.
“This guy looks like an old man and drives an ugly car, but he sells nearly 1,000 cups of coffee a day and makes as much money as a clothes dealer. It’s only been a few years since he was able to buy land and build a house worth billions,” a regular customer felt. dress.
Without denying the rumors, Mr. Hay shared that it was a bold decision 10 years ago that turned his life to a new page. When the couple went to different places, he had little time to spend with and take care of his wife and children. Quitting the job that many people wish to “work on the street” is more difficult, but he can be close to relatives and have time to rest in the evening and gather with his family.
“Up to now, my husband and I have been able to buy a 75m2 piece of land and build a house all from selling coffee on the streets. That is the effort of both husband and wife,” Mr. Hay said.
($1~24,000 VND)
Photo,Video: Internet