We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anna Nguyen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Anna, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Am I happier as a business owner? Absolutely. But do I sometimes think about what it would be like to have a regular job? More often than people probably expect.
The last time I seriously had that thought was during one of our biggest production weeks last year. We were ramping up for a major launch at Central Market while keeping up with Mitsuwa, pop-ups, and Revolving Kitchen. Orders were piling up, staff was stretched thin, suppliers were running late, and I was running on fumes.
One night, around 2 AM, I was in the kitchen, prepping black sesame cream by hand because we had run out and I didn’t trust anyone else to make it right. My hands were sticky, the sink was full of dishes, and my phone kept buzzing with texts from vendors and delivery drivers. I hadn’t eaten dinner, my back was aching, and I still had to be up in a few hours to oversee packaging. That’s when the thought hit me:
“What if I just had a normal 9-to-5? Clock in, do my job, clock out. No stress about suppliers, no late-night inventory counts, no waking up at 3 AM wondering if we ordered enough yuzu for next week.”
For a split second, it felt tempting—the idea of stability, predictability, and maybe even a weekend off. But then I thought about why I started this in the first place.
La Maison Bleue isn’t just a business. It’s my heart and soul. It’s a reflection of the care, passion, and culture I want to share. If I worked a regular job, I wouldn’t get to create, innovate, or have the same impact. I wouldn’t have the freedom to build something meaningful on my own terms.
And more than that—I think about Alexandria. My daughter is growing up watching everything we build. She’s seeing what it means to create something from scratch, to believe in your vision, and to work for something bigger than yourself. One day, she might want to take La Maison Bleue even further, pushing it beyond anything I could have imagined. If she does, I want her to inherit something worth carrying on—a brand that represents quality, authenticity, and passion.
So, even in those exhausting, overwhelming moments, I remind myself: I chose this. And I’d choose it again, every time. Because at the end of the day, no paycheck could replace the pride I feel when someone takes their first sip of our drinks and lights up. No salary could match the fulfillment of building something from nothing, of seeing people love what we’ve created.
Would a regular job be easier? Maybe. But happier? Not a chance. And if Alexandria ever decides to take the reins, I hope she knows she’s stepping into something built with love, resilience, and a vision for something greater.
Anna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi, I’m Anna, the founder of La Maison Bleue.
La Maison Bleue started almost five years ago as a passion project rooted in my love for tea, matcha, and authentic flavors. I’ve always believed that what we consume should be real, intentional, and crafted with care—not just something mass-produced for the sake of convenience. When I first started, the goal wasn’t just to serve drinks; it was to share an experience, to bring people flavors that are rich in tradition yet feel fresh and new.
How I Got Into This Industry
My journey into this world wasn’t exactly traditional. I’ve always had a deep appreciation for Japanese and organic ingredients, and I saw a massive gap in the American market. Too many beverages were either overly sweet, artificially flavored, or just uninspiring. I wanted to create something different—something that celebrates real ingredients, highlights craftsmanship, and redefines what a great drink should be.
I started experimenting with matcha, teas, and Japanese flavors in small batches, perfecting the balance of flavors over time. When I launched La Maison Bleue, it was really about introducing people to drinks that told a story, whether it was the earthy depth of ceremonial matcha, the floral notes of sakura, or the rich, nutty complexity of black sesame.
What We Offer & What Sets Us Apart
At La Maison Bleue, we focus on authentic, high-quality beverages and food that prioritize real ingredients over artificial shortcuts. Everything we make is designed to be balanced, flavorful, and unique—from our signature drinks to our Japanese-inspired food offerings.
Some of our standout drinks include:
Sakura Cream Matcha – Made with real sakura (cherry blossoms) from Japan, it’s the first and only one of its kind in Texas.
Black Sesame Cream Latte – A creamy, nutty, and rich espresso drink topped with our signature black sesame cream.
Shikuwasa Latte – Made with the rare shikuwasa citrus, a Japanese fruit with a bright, tart, and floral flavor.
Biscoff Latte – A cozy, indulgent blend of Americano, Biscoff cream, and Biscoff crumbles.
We also offer food through Bleue’s Kitchen, including:
Tamago Sando (Japanese Egg Sandwich)
Karaage Sando (Japanese Fried Chicken Sandwich with our Taru Taru Sauce)
Hama Mayo Onigiri (Yellowtail & Kewpie Mayo Rice Ball)
Japanese Basque Cheesecakes in flavors like Matcha, Hojicha, and Black Sesame
What sets us apart is our commitment to quality. We don’t cut corners. We source organic ingredients, work directly with suppliers from Japan and North Texas, and never rely on artificial flavors. Every drink and dish is crafted with the intention of delivering a unique and memorable experience.
The Problems We Solve
The American beverage industry is dominated by artificial, overly sweet, and uninspired drinks. Too often, drinks are loaded with preservatives, cheap sweeteners, and low-quality ingredients. At La Maison Bleue, we’re solving this problem by offering something better, something real—flavors that are true to their origins, drinks that are balanced rather than overpowering, and products that people can feel good about consuming.
What I’m Most Proud Of
What makes me the happiest is seeing people genuinely enjoy and appreciate what we create. The best compliment I ever get is when someone takes a sip and their eyes light up because it’s something new, something they’ve never tasted before. It means that all the effort, all the time spent sourcing the best ingredients and perfecting our recipes, was worth it.
I’m also incredibly proud of the community we’ve built. We’ve grown beyond just a café; we’re a space where people connect, experience new flavors, and appreciate the art behind what they consume.
What I Want People to Know About La Maison Bleue
If there’s one thing I want people to take away, it’s this: La Maison Bleue isn’t just about drinks and food—it’s about sharing an experience, a culture, and a deep appreciation for quality. Every product we offer is crafted with care, and we hope that when people try what we make, they can taste the difference.
Thank you for reading, and I hope to serve you something special soon!
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Yes, La Maison Bleue started as a side hustle and grew into my full-time business.
How It All Started
In the beginning, La Maison Bleue wasn’t meant to be a full-time career—it was just a small passion project. I’ve always been obsessed with tea, matcha, and authentic Japanese flavors, but every time I looked around, I couldn’t find drinks that felt real, balanced, or rooted in tradition. Everything was either too sweet, too artificial, or just uninspired.
So, I started experimenting. I would buy high-quality matcha, real sakura, and black sesame from Japan and craft drinks in my kitchen, making them for friends and family. The feedback was incredible—people loved them and kept asking for more. That’s when I realized: there’s a gap in the market for authentic, premium Japanese-inspired drinks that aren’t just sugar bombs.
The First Big Step
The first real test came when we started doing pop-ups at local markets and events. I set up a small booth, made drinks fresh, and shared my passion for real ingredients. The response was overwhelming—people LOVED it. We would sell out completely at almost every event. That’s when I knew this wasn’t just a hobby anymore; this could actually be something big.
One of the key moments was when we got into Mitsuwa Marketplace for pop-ups. Mitsuwa is one of the biggest Japanese markets in the U.S., and being there exposed us to people who genuinely appreciate authentic flavors. That opened doors to collaborations and a loyal customer base.
Scaling Up & Going Full-Time
As demand grew, I had a choice to make: keep this as a side hustle or go all in? The decision wasn’t easy, but my heart was in this. I took the leap and made La Maison Bleue my full-time business. We expanded into:
– Brick-and-mortar locations
– Retail partnerships with places like Mitsuwa, Central Market, and SMU
– Online sales & brand collaborations
Scaling wasn’t easy, but every milestone made it worth it. Some of the biggest moments that shaped our growth:
– Launching Bleue’s Kitchen, which introduced Japanese sandos, onigiris, and cheesecakes alongside our drinks.
Developing signature drinks like our Sakura Cream Matcha, Black Sesame Cream Latte, and Shikuwasa Latte, which have built a cult following.
– Partnering with the Dallas Mavericks to create an exclusive Mavericks Cream Soda, proving that our brand could reach even bigger audiences.
– Expanding into Central Market and Mitsuwa—huge moments that validated our quality and demand.
Lessons & Looking Ahead
This journey has been a rollercoaster, but the biggest lesson is this: when you believe in what you’re creating, and you know there’s a need for it, go all in. The key to success wasn’t just making good drinks—it was staying true to quality, building a community, and never compromising on what makes us different.
Today, La Maison Bleue isn’t just a café—it’s a movement toward better, more authentic flavors. And we’re just getting started.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One of the biggest tests of resilience in my journey with La Maison Bleue happened when we first expanded beyond pop-ups.
In the early days, we were doing great at events—selling out drinks, getting amazing feedback, and building a loyal following. But when we made the leap to a permanent location, everything changed. Suddenly, we weren’t just making drinks and connecting with people—we were dealing with supply chain issues, staffing, rent, inventory, and the constant pressure to keep up with demand while maintaining our quality.
One of the hardest moments was when we launched at Mitsuwa Marketplace. It was a huge milestone, but behind the scenes, it was pure chaos. We underestimated how much product we needed, and within the first few hours, we were sold out. Great, right? Not exactly—because that meant we had nothing left to serve for the next two days.
I remember scrambling, trying to source ingredients last-minute, but some of the key ingredients we use—like real sakura from Japan or freshly ground black sesame—aren’t things you can just pick up at a local store. That weekend, I barely slept, driving all over the city to get what we needed and handmaking batches of black sesame cream at 3 AM in my kitchen just to keep up.
But we didn’t back down. We learned from it. The next time, we over-prepared, streamlined our processes, and worked on securing better supply chains so we wouldn’t be caught off guard again.
That experience taught me that resilience isn’t just about pushing through hard times—it’s about adapting, learning, and growing from them. Today, when challenges come up—whether it’s an ingredient shortage, a new product launch, or expanding into a new location—I remind myself of those sleepless nights and last-minute problem-solving and know that no matter what, we’ll figure it out.
Resilience is what keeps us moving forward, even when things don’t go as planned. And in the world of small business, nothing ever goes exactly as planned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.LMBCafe.com
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/LaMaisonBleue_
