In 2019, Thomas Nguyen got down to change the world one meal at a time with a meals truck impressed by the loss of life of his fiancé, Tiffiney Duplantis.
The Houma couple began to plan and put together wholesome meals to sort out her abdomen points, which they later realized had been brought on by pancreatic most cancers.
“We began attempting to eat wholesome once more, nevertheless it was simply so powerful as a result of a household with youngsters and two full-time jobs, it is onerous to meal prep each time,” Nguyen stated. “She’s the one who impressed me to do that as a result of maintaining a healthy diet is the important thing to an extended life.”
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What they began collectively has since grown right into a restaurant, Physique by Thomas, which celebrated its grand opening Wednesday. It is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday by means of Saturday at 411 Company Drive in an area previously occupied by Fig Café, which has closed. Nguyen stated after employees coaching, the restaurant will increase hours to open at 7 a.m. And he plans to switch the sign up a number of days.
Physique by Thomas first bought into enterprise as a meals truck on the 985 Eats Meals Truck Park in Grey. The truck now sits behind the restaurant, and he nonetheless makes use of it to prepare dinner meals.
On the restaurant, clients select a protein, vegetable and carbohydrate. Every meal is below 500 energy. The value is predicated on the protein chosen. Rooster and turkey are $10, shrimp $11, salmon $11.50 and steak $13.
For veggies, the choices are inexperienced beans, asparagus, zucchini, squash, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. And for carbs the choices are jasmine rice, quinoa, brown rice, California rice, candy potato and baked potato.
Set to Ok-Love, the Christian radio station, the doorways opened at 11 a.m. Wednesday, and Physique by Thomas served 15 clients within the first half-hour. There have been additionally 50 to-go plates ordered.
Raquel Duplantis was the third buyer in line. She stated she’s been a fan of the meals truck, and when she heard Nguyen had a restaurant, she needed to swing by. She ordered the eggroll bowl, Nguyen’s signature dish.
“It is good to have a spot the place there is a wholesome possibility,” she stated. “I just like the comfort, and it is a step up from McDonald’s.”
The eggroll bowl consists of floor turkey, low sodium soy sauce, cabbage, brown sugar, chili powder and Nguyen’s particular seasonings.
Nguyen stated he was excited concerning the quantity of people that confirmed up for the primary day and for the longer term.
“I am simply blessed that every one this got here to play. I am a single mother or father, and that is the one factor I’ve,” he stated. “I haven’t got a plan B, that is my plan A, do or die. I put all the pieces into it, and if this does not work out, I do not know what else will.”