Today we’d like to introduce you to Viet Tran.
Hi Viet, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Velocity was born out of an accident. Quite literally a motorcycle accident. I used to race motorcycles on the West Coast as well as the Texas region. In summer of 2023, I had a training incident where I flipped over my motorcycle, separated my shoulder, and hit my head pretty hard. Recovery wasn’t great so I took a break from racing. While recovering I re-discovered sim racing. I say rediscovered because 10 years ago I built a simulator chassis out of wood, but technology’s progressed *alot* since then.
When I rediscovered sim racing, I saw how far the hardware and software technology had progressed. It was a great tool for learning race tracks and getting your mind to focus and work on skills that are translatable for being on the racetrack. The eureka moment though was when I invited friends over and they’d take turns on my simulator and we would have just a great time swapping drivers. That was when I thought, wouldn’t it be great to have a sportsbar/lounge type venue that had many simulators so that friends can drive together at the same time – a new type of social experience.
I looked around and there were indeed a few “sim centers” around the country, but all of them were just about sim racing. I wanted Velocity to be much more than that, I wanted Velocity to be a spot where any car or racing enthusiast would enjoy spending time at even if they’re not driving. Most importantly, I wanted Velocity to be approachable and fun for everyone. In a male dominated sport, I wanted Velocity to be warm and welcoming for women, children, and adults who might have never been exposed to motorsports.
Today, Velocity | Sim Racing Lounge is a first-of-its-kind venue. We feature an upscale, modern design with high end finishes such as our custom built race track lights, a full bar, and kitchen with craft cocktails and delicious food. And of course, we have our motion racing simulators that allow up to 16 guests to race each other at the same time. Velocity is a space where everyone can have a good time, whether you’re catching up with friends, on a date, or having the most engaging team building experience ever. There’s something for everyone.
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?
I don’t think any worthwhile journey is ever going to be easy or have a smooth road. Velocity required me to leave my product management career, which was, at the time, a terrifying idea. I had a great job, great company, and life was good, but, ultimately, the idea was there and my partner, Judy, was supportive of my vision. So I leapt.
Going from product in software, to a brick and mortar concept was frustrating. In software, you can develop things in a more agile manner. With a physical business, there were dependencies upon dependencies with massive timelines. It was my first time working with an architect, a GC, and kitchen & bar equipment vendors, etc. So every step was new. I absolutely made mistakes. For example, I personally screwed up and caused delays with our kitchen by not communicating changes in equipment between architects, engineers, and vendors. A painful and costly lesson!
Once we were up and running, we had to build new processes and systems that didn’t exist. It wasn’t like we could go down the street and ask how another sim racing experience did this or that. On top of the racing, we also have a proper bar and food program, so it was like 2-3 businesses combined. We piecemeal things together, listen to customer feedback or reactions, then iterated and improved upon it. I can’t thank my team and staff enough for grinding deep in the trenches with me in those first few days and weeks. We’re still learning every day and we just tell ourselves, if we can improve even by an inch each day, those improvements will compound and it is only a matter of time before we become great.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m the founder and one of the co-owners of Velocity. I think what sets us apart from any other sim racing experience or other “eatertainment” concepts is our staff. We put a lot of emphasis on customer engagement. For example, our Pit Crew (the team members who focus on the sim racing aspect of Velocity), are there to help guests whether they’re first time drivers or if they already have experience driving on racetracks or already compete in racing. No matter who you are, or what your background is, our Pit Crew are there to guide the entire experience. We take immense pride in that high-touch, high-engagement experience. That’s something that we will never compromise on.
The other thing that I’m immensely proud of is our community. Every few weeks or months, we bring the motorsports community together to watch racing, we get crowds of 150-250 guests to watch races together, or we even partner with brands like Audi of America to do car launches and celebrations. Velocity has quickly become *the* spot for racing and car enthusiasts all over Houston. Our vision is to take that nationally.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Houston has the best food scene in the United States. I said it! I went to school in the Bay Area (spent 10 years total), lived in Manhattan and Seattle, and have traveled all over the country. Houston’s food scene is absolutely underrated and is a hidden gem.
Our city is extremely diverse in both its people and its cuisine and Houstonians *love* good food. Of course, Tex-Mex/steaks/BBQ are going to be amazing, but we also have incredible Jamaican, Indian, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean food. There’s so many pockets of different cultures all over the city, it’s a ton of fun (and delicious) to take the time to explore and enjoy these different communities and cuisines.
What I dislike about the city is that it was built on a swamp. It’s absurdly humid in the summers and flat, so there is little geography or natural beauty (sadly). There are of course, a few nice parks and features, but it’s nowhere near the majesty of the Pacific Northwest or the seasonal magic of the Northeast. Regardless, we deal with it however we can – mainly by staying indoors and eating our faces off.
Pricing:
- $25/30 minute race or $45/30 minute race during Happy Hour
- Standard prices start at $35/30 minute race or $55/30 minute race
- Upgrades are available for higher tier simulators, these start at +$10
- Draft, domestic, and imported beers start at $6
- Amazing wagyu sliders ($18) or bacon cheeseburger ($10)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://velocitysimlounge.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velocitysimlounge/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572854353975
Image Credits
Quit Nguyen, https://www.quitnguyen.com/
