Mary Aregoni / Saigon Sisters

Saigon Sisters Restaurant, the latest addition to the Fulton River District’s lively restaurant scene, is run by Vietnamese sisters, Mary Nguyen Aregoni and Theresa Nguyen, along with their mother, Mama Suu. The main inspiration for beginning their business came from influential family members. Mama Suu and the sisters’ grandmother began as successful entrepreneurs in Vietnam, growing an open-market grocery into a large food market operation that served as the main supplier to nearby embassies. After the Nguyen family moved to the United States, Mama Suu encouraged her daughters to achieve their goals and do what they love, which eventually happened to be following in her footsteps. The original Saigon Sisters opened as a booth at nearby Chicago French Market in December 2009, and now proudly expands to a second location and full-service restaurant.