Family and flavor are key ingredients at NYC’s Burmese Bites

NYC Queens Night Market vendor grows from pop-up to caterer and more

Myo Lin Thway launched Burmese Bites in 2015 as one of the earliest purveyors of Burmese food in New York City.

He inherited his passion for food from his father, who loved to cook and alongside Thway learned to make palatas — folded crepe-like flatbreads with savory fillings — from a local food vendor in Burma. This skill provided a foundation for his business.

“Palatas require skill and a lot of practice to flip the thin dough, but the result is worth the work,” he says. “After a lot of trial and error, I got it.”

Thway immigrated to the United States 30 years ago from Hinthada, in the northern delta part of Burma (now Myanmar). He was inspired to start Burmese Bites after seeing a friend selling Thai food at a street fair.

“My wife and I agreed that palatas could be very popular here,” Thway says. “We decided to keep our 9 to 5, Monday through Friday jobs and try this for extra pocket money to start.”

It went so well that today the couple runs the business full time and has been featured in Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Eater, and numerous other media outlets. Burmese Bites is also a popular fixture at Queens Night Market (QNM), an open-air, family-friendly market in Queens that showcases up to 100 independent vendors each week to celebrate the cultural diversity of New York City and Queens.

Thway recently shared his experiences starting a small business, and his wisdom about the importance of finding your audience, seeking advice, and exploring new services.

Tip: Find your audience

When Thway started out selling his food at street fairs around New York City, one of the most challenging aspects of his business was engaging with customers who aren’t familiar with Burmese food. Over time, he realized that finding venues with the right audience for his product is the key to success.

Introducing new customers to Burmese cuisine — which he describes as “Chinese food plus Indian food plus Thai food divided by three, with a Burmese twist” — works best in locations where people are specifically interested in sampling unfamiliar cuisine. For example, the company’s location at the busy Queens Center Mall has struggled to engage buyers, since the mall shoppers are not typically in the mood to try something new.

“Even when we give out samples, they are more likely to eat at the big-name fast-food companies,” he says. “In that setting, people just want what is familiar.”

Having the same customers every week is also important. Burmese Bites realized this when it tried selling at street fairs. New and different audiences at each fair meant continually explaining and selling Burmese cuisine to new waves of visitors. Thway eventually realized that his best audience would be found in a place where he could set up shop regularly.

QNM, since he first signed on in 2015, has consistently provided the right audience. “People come with an open mind and are often there specifically to try new foods,” he says. “Once people try the food, they fall in love with it.”

Bottom line: Determining your best audience and how to find them can take some trial and error. Keep modifying location, approach, and other marketing and sales tactics until you hit on the right mix. This investment of time and strategic thinking will pay off.

Tip: Seek advice

The independence of being your own boss is one of Thway’s favorite things about owning a small business. But he also believes in the power of counsel and support.

Thway cites the Small Business Administration (SBA) as an important part of the support network, both during the startup phase and as it continues to grow. “The SBA helped me create a great foundation for getting Burmese Bites off the ground,” he says. “And today, I still turn to them regularly as a resource.”

The SBA has helped Thway find information on everything, from where to turn for free legal advice to how to navigate health inspections and learn business management techniques. Currently, he is working with the SBA to apply for a government contract.

Family is also a critical support system for Thway. His wife Rebecca is his business partner, and his in-laws work with him regularly as well. “They are always willing to help whenever I need it,” he says. “I’ve been blessed.” His oldest child, now in college, started working at Burmese Bites when he was in the third grade.

“My kids grew up at Queens Night Market,” Thway says. “We have so many good memories of being there late into the night, working and trying lots of food. And, it is also the way they earned pocket money.”

Bottom line: Look online and in your community for organizations that offer free or low-cost business support. The SBA offers a number of resources for training, mentorship, and financing. Many local business groups and industry associations also provide education and advice.

Tip: Explore new services

Last year, Burmese Bites expanded its services and began to offer catering for Manhattan-based corporations looking to serve unique lunches as a perk for employees. “There’s a move to do something nice for employees as they come back into the office,” he says. “We’ve been happy to find customers and see quite a bit of repeat business.”

The “gigs” are often booked through catering companies that partner with Thway to provide the food to their clients. Burmese Bites is currently working with five different catering companies to provide its food.

“Building these partnerships has taken time,” Thway says. “You start on a trial basis to prove that you can deliver delicious food that makes the customer happy, on time, in the right quantities.”

Catering now accounts for half of Burmese Bites’ business. This new market has been great for the company, but the growth has not been without its bumps in the road.

One time the delivery driver for a catering order arrived over an hour late, which is a big problem and not good for the company’s reputation. “Fifteen minutes here or there we can live with,” he says. “An hour can affect future work.”

The growing pains have not diminished Thway’s aspirations to take the business national. With more experience under his belt, he has his sights set on new locations in airport terminals and college campuses.

“I want to build my brand to encourage more people to try our food,” he says. “My mission is to get people to learn about and love Burmese food.”

Bottom line: Think creatively about new ways to sell what you provide to current buyers. By taking what you already know how to do and “packaging” it differently, you can find opportunities that you would not otherwise find.