MISE Footwear was created to amplify culinary industry voices, while simultaneously taking the burden of tired feet off their plates. These core values serve as ingredients for our 2022 holiday campaign, which serves as a day-in-the-shoes snapshot of Richard, the owner of the beloved PDX-based food cart, Matta.
Richard Văn Lê uniquely tells his Việt Kiều experience as a first generation Vietnamese immigrant through his thoughtful recipes, each pulled directly from memories that respect and represent his heritage. His multidimensional experience as a food cart owner resonates with many other independent restaurant owners and industry professionals in his shoes, because their roles are never easily defined on paper.
So often, being the owner also means being the HR department, the shopper, the manager of vendor relations, the electrician, and the point person for making difficult decisions. The mission of our holiday campaign is to shine a spotlight on, and celebrate the candid stories of industry professionals and the fundamental roles they play in our communities, regardless of their position in the kitchen.
WE HOPE THIS CAMPAIGN INSPIRES OUR COMMUNITY TO…
- Celebrate the stories of those who bring your favorite food memories to life, and spotlight the vital role they play in our communities.
- Educate non-industry viewers on the mental resilience and agility it takes to run an independent restaurant.
- Build empathy for independent restaurant owners and workers, and the community organizations that support them.
- Get out and support your favorite independent restaurants no matter the time of year.
- Allow these stories to resonate with others in the industry who can find familiarity in our campaign, ensuring they feel heard and seen.
- Validate that handling difficult situations and obstacles as an independent restaurant owner not only builds character, but reveals it.
Of course, this campaign could only be brought to life through immensely talented culinary industry professionals, and creatives in our very own Portland community. We owe our gratitude to:
- Richard Văn Lê and Sophia Lê of Matta PDX
And our wonderful videographer and photographers:
You can support us in raising awareness for the stories of independent culinary professionals by sharing this campaign and mission within your own community. Visit your local independent restaurants, buy their gift cards, show up to dine when it’s the slow winter season, and share their flavors with everyone you can.