Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Nguyen.
Hi Thomas, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
At the age of 45, I am currently in the first year of my THIRD career change. After realizing that being an attorney was not my passion, I had the opportunity to get into the restaurant industry and co-founded Peli Peli, a South African concept that became one of the best-reviewed, and beloved, restaurant brands in Houston.
Now, after having spent 12 years in the restaurant industry, I transitioned to commercial real estate under CBRE, Inc., the largest commercial real estate services company in the world. I joined one of the top tenant representation teams in Houston, led by Brian Ashby and Sydney Dixon, and together we represent some of the biggest restaurant and retail brands in Texas in their search for the right locations for expansion.
I have always believed that if you aren’t passionate about what you do, you won’t be very good at it. I hope that my story, my mistakes and my journey will inspire others to follow their passion!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. I probably took the longest path to success. Leaving my legal career while still owing student loans and having spent so much time and energy to get into law school was not the best decision.
Starting a South African restaurant in 2009 and convincing people that they had to try our food was next to impossible.
Starting a brand new career at the age of 45 is scary!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I essentially help restaurants find the right location. While our team handles both retail and restaurants, because of my extensive background in restaurants and actually building a successful brand from scratch, I have a passion for restaurants and focus primarily in that niche.
I believe I can add much more value to our clients because of my restaurateur and entrepreneur experience, even the tons of mistakes I have made along the way can serve my clients well.
Between the proprietary data platform that our team utilizes to help our clients find locations based on their demographic or target audience, to my 12-year restaurateur experience to my marketing, branding and public relations expertise, I know I can be a true partner for my clients in finding the right location and setting them up for success.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Shoot me an email at thomas.nguyen@cbre.com.
Contact Info:
- Email: thomas.nguyen@cbre.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thomasnguyenrealestate
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomaspnguyen/
