At first glance, Ong Xiong’s life might seem defined by a series of unexpected turns—each a stepping stone that led her to owning Ong’s Kitchen, a Southeast Asian takeout restaurant in Appleton, Wisconsin. But listening to Xiong, it becomes clear that resilience, community, and a deep commitment to her family are at the heart of her entrepreneurial journey.
Xiong’s story begins thousands of miles away in Thailand, where she was born before her family relocated to the United States in 1992 under the sponsorship of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay. The move wasn’t random.
“They initially brought my oldest sister and her little family over first,” she explains. “If we were to go to the United States, that’s where we’re going to go, is to follow my sister.” Since then, Xiong and her husband, who met as middle school sweethearts, have built their lives in Appleton.
Despite a bustling household that now includes children of their own and five nieces and nephews they fostered after a family tragedy, Xiong pursued her education, becoming a registered nurse. Her nursing career spanned over a decade at ThedaCare, where she worked as a cardiac nurse and care manager. However, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the unique challenges it brought—prompted her to shift her focus entirely.
From Nursing to the Kitchen
The idea for Ong’s Kitchen took root in a moment of crisis. Xiong recalls the origin of her signature egg rolls: “When my sister was struggling with cancer 13 years ago, I started doing an egg roll fundraiser to help offset her medical bills.” The fundraiser not only brought in crucial support but also made Xiong’s egg rolls famous around town. “We became known as the ‘egg roll family,’” she says with a laugh. Even after her sister recovered, the demand for her egg rolls persisted.
Years later, as Xiong left her nursing job during the pandemic to focus on family, her husband suggested a bold move: turn the egg rolls into a business. “He’s a huge risk-taker,” she says. “He told me, ‘You have such a smart brain; I know you’ll figure it out.’”
With encouragement from her family and community, Xiong and her husband opened Ong’s Kitchen in April 2023. It was a leap of faith, especially since the couple self-funded the venture. “We pulled out every penny of our savings,” she says. “It was hard to get a loan during COVID, but our contractor worked with us. We paid for 75% of the build-out upfront and then paid off the rest over the first year.”
A Year of Growth and Learning
The first year of operation brought both challenges and rewards. Initially, business was slow, with only a handful of customers each day. However, word-of-mouth and community support transformed Ong’s Kitchen into a local favorite. “It went from having two or three customers a day to now well over 40 or 50,” she says. “A lot of our customers are locals here in the (Fox) Valley.”
Ong’s Kitchen serves Southeast Asian cuisine, including staples like Korean rice bowls, vermicelli noodle dishes, and, of course, Xiong’s famous egg rolls. “Everything is cut fresh in-house,” she says. “Nothing is processed in a food processor. I always tell people it’s made with love. That’s the secret ingredient.”
The couple has deliberately kept the restaurant’s hours to weekdays, catering primarily to Appleton’s office and student crowd. “We tried opening on Saturdays,” Xiong says, “but it wasn’t worth it. Most locals travel outside Appleton on weekends, and it didn’t make sense financially.”
Finding vendors and scaling production were other hurdles. “We had to do everything ourselves at first—grinding meat, slicing vegetables,” she explains. “But we spent the year networking and eventually found vendors to help reduce our labor by 50%.”
Community Connections and Future Plans
Xiong emphasizes the role of community in her business success. Through donations of egg rolls to local schools, sports teams, and Hmong community events, she has built strong relationships that have brought new customers through the door. “Just the other day, a customer came in and said, ‘I live 10 minutes from here. I love your food and wanted to put a name to the face.’ That made me feel so proud,” she shares.
The Wisconsin Hmong Chamber of Commerce has also been a key ally. “They’ve helped us explore grants and hosted networking events at our restaurant,” Xiong says. “They’ve been advertising us and connecting us with other business owners.”
Looking to the future, Xiong and her husband hope to expand Ong’s Kitchen’s reach with a food truck. “Within the last year, we’ve had so many requests for a food truck,” she says. “We’ve been invited to events at Lambeau Field and night markets. If we can secure funding, we’d love to make it happen.”
A Recipe for Success
As Xiong reflects on her first year as a business owner, she offers insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. “You have to be very patient,” she says. “And networking is crucial. We didn’t have the funds to advertise, but through donations and community events, we’ve built relationships that have been invaluable.”
For Xiong, Ong’s Kitchen is more than a restaurant—it’s an extension of her home. “If you come to my house, whatever you eat at the restaurant will taste exactly the same,” she says. “I want everything we serve to feel like home.”
