Today we’d like to introduce you to Min Choe.
Hi Min, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m an Austinite through and through—I’ve lived here since 1982 and have watched this city grow and evolve in incredible ways. My story is deeply rooted in that local experience, particularly within the food scene. My wife and I had been working in our own mom-and-pop Chinese restaurants for years, and as much as we loved the food and serving our neighbors, we also saw fundamental flaws in the food delivery world. As someone who loves this city, I kept thinking that we could create a better, more consistent experience for fellow Austinites.
The real turning point was when I connected with Angell Tsang, who would become my co-founder and our CTO. I was lucky to know him. We shared the same vision: to create a business completely focused on perfecting the online takeout and delivery experience. Of course, that vision would be meaningless without amazing food. That’s the heart of the business, and it’s driven by my wife and our Culinary Director, Jenna Choe. She developed our incredible menu, ensuring that the quality of our food would be the star of the show.
We spent a full year building our own proprietary software platform to manage the entire process. Once that was ready, we took the leap and opened our first Tso Chinese location in the Cherrywood neighborhood in August of 2017.
The community response was incredible. By September of 2019, we opened our second location, and our momentum felt strong. But just six months later, the COVID pandemic hit our community hard. We felt incredibly blessed to have a business model built for delivery that could continue operating at full capacity. At the same time, we were saddened by the fear and pain we saw all around us. That’s when we decided to propel our TsoGiving Initiative forward, starting by feeding our service industry friends who had lost their jobs overnight. We fed hundreds of families and quickly realized the need was even greater, so we opened the program up to the entire city. Today, we’re proud to continue using the TsoGiving platform to fight food insecurity in our community.
The challenges didn’t end with the lockdown, though. In 2023, we truly felt the deep, lingering impact of the pandemic on the economy and our community. It negatively affected our business, and we hit all-time lows that year. We had to dig deep, adopt change, and embrace new philosophies. And it worked. With those changes in play, 2024 brought incredible growth and record-breaking sales, and that trend has thankfully continued into 2025. As a result, we’ve grown to five locations across the Austin area, and we are currently raising capital to scale the Tso brand even further.
There are still so many things we’re working on to improve the customer experience. As a lean start-up, we are limited by our resources, so we have to make those changes one feature at a time. But the great news is that our team is working incredibly hard every day to give customers the best ordering experience possible. We’re excited that our future includes continued expansion and, soon, even a drive-thru model.
None of this would be possible without our team. I owe all of our success to every single person at Tso, from our packers and cooks to our managers and corporate team. They have truly embraced what it means to live our ‘#BEKIND’ value system and be part of the Tso Family. They are the heart of this company.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth is definitely not the word I would use! Anyone who starts a business from the ground up knows it’s a journey filled with constant challenges. We’ve certainly had our share.
I think our most significant struggle came in 2023. Even though our delivery model was a blessing that allowed us to operate during the initial COVID lockdowns, the long-term economic impact of the pandemic eventually caught up to us. The changes in the economy and society as a whole hit our business hard, and we saw our sales dip to all-time lows. It was a genuinely scary and humbling period. We had to take a hard, honest look at everything—our operations, our strategy, our core philosophies—and be willing to make significant changes to turn the ship around. It was a period of intense pressure, but it forced us to become a smarter, more resilient company. Seeing those tough decisions lead to record-breaking growth in 2024 and 2025 has been one of the most rewarding validations of our journey.
On a more constant basis, our main struggle is one that I think any lean start-up founder knows well: the challenge of having a grand vision with limited resources. Jenna, Angell, and I have a long list of features and improvements we want to roll out to make the customer experience even better. But we have to be incredibly disciplined, prioritizing and tackling them one feature at a time. It teaches you patience, for sure.
But honestly, I wouldn’t trade these struggles. They’ve forged our company’s character, tested our resolve, and proven the strength of our team. Overcoming these obstacles is what makes our success so meaningful.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tso Chinese Takeout & Delivery?
More than anything, Tso Chinese is about a feeling. It’s that feeling of comfort and joy you get from a truly satisfying meal, shared with the people you love. We’re in the business of delivering that feeling. We specialize in fresh, vibrant Chinese-American food, but what we are truly known for is the love and care we put into ensuring it arrives at your door, ready to make your evening better.
What sets us apart comes from the heart. It’s built on a few core beliefs.
First, we believe a great experience should feel seamless, almost magical. We use our own custom technology not for tech’s sake, but to protect the integrity of the food. It’s the invisible engine that makes sure your order is right, arrives hot, and feels effortless, so that when you open that box, it’s perfect.
Second, we believe in family, and that starts with our amazing team. We built our company on a no-tipping model because we wanted to create a culture of mutual respect and shared success, where everyone earns a stable, dignified living wage. When you get your food, you can feel that spirit of teamwork—the pride our chefs, packers, and drivers all take in their work. It’s not just a job; it’s our family taking care of yours. And the result, which is something I am deeply proud of, is our extremely low employee turnover rate. Our people choose to stay and grow with us, and that truly illustrates the amazing culture we’ve built together.
Finally, it all comes back to the food, which is truly Jenna’s passion on a plate. As our Culinary Director, she pours her heart into crafting dishes that are not just delicious, but made with an intention and quality you can taste.
And what am I most proud of, brand-wise? Without a doubt, it’s our TsoGiving program. This is the soul of our company. For every order our community blesses us with, we set aside a portion to provide hot, dignified meals to Austinites facing food insecurity. It’s our promise that as Tso grows, we will always lift our community up with us.
This commitment is so fundamental to our identity that we legally structured Tso Chinese as a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), also known as a B-Corp. For us, this was non-negotiable. It means our social mission is legally woven into our corporate DNA. Unlike a traditional company that is only accountable to profit, we are legally accountable to a ‘triple bottom line’: People, Planet, and Profit. It’s important because it proves that our purpose isn’t just a marketing slogan; it is a binding commitment. It ensures that our values will always guide our growth.
So, what I really want your readers to know is this: Tso Chinese is more than just a restaurant. It’s a local Austin story about building something with purpose. It’s a belief that a business can be a force for good. When you order from us, you’re not just getting dinner; you’re becoming part of a community, and you’re allowing us to share our family’s passion with yours. We invite you to taste the care and warmth in every bite.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
This might be the biggest surprise of all, especially coming from a guy who co-founded a restaurant, but I am not skilled in the kitchen. Truly. I think my greatest culinary skill is ordering takeout.
Looking back, I honestly believe it was a blessing in disguise. It taught me very early on that you can’t build something great by yourself. You need partners who have gifts that you don’t.
And I have been so incredibly lucky on that front. My wife, Jenna, is a phenomenal chef with an intuitive gift for flavor—she is the true heart of our culinary promise. Angell, our co-founder, is a tech visionary who built our entire platform from the ground up—he’s the technical brains behind our seamless experience.
With partners like that, my own role became very clear. I accepted the responsibility of being the steward of our mission—the keeper of our ‘why.’ My job is to hold that vision steady, ensuring it guides every decision we make. Then, my focus is to find other amazing people who share that belief and build a culture where they are empowered to do their best work.
So in the end, lacking culinary skills was the best thing that could have happened. It forced me to focus on what truly matters: a shared mission and a brilliant team. They are the reason for our success.
Contact Info:
- Website: tsochinese.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/tsochinese/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TsoChinese
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/16246448/admin/dashboard/
- Twitter: https://x.com/tsodelivery
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tsochinesetakeoutdelivery
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tso-chinese-takeout-and-delivery-austin-2?osq=Tso+Chinese+Takeout+%26+Delivery
- Other: tsocatering.com
