When mentioning Quang Binh specialties, subtropical potatoes are one of the familiar dishes for tourists. Fedible, naturally sweet, this seemingly simple potato is associated with the determined entrepreneurial journey of Hoang Huy Thanh (34 years old, Dong Hoi city).
A turning point from a bold idea
In 2015, when he had just graduated from a business administration major, his family oriented Thanh to become a statesman to have a stable job. But the young man was worried about another path - selling his hometown's specialties.
At that time, Quang Binh tourism developed strongly but tourism products were limited. Thanh noticed that subtropical potatoes, a dish familiar to the locals, do not have a clear brand. Most of the products are handmade, exposed to outdoor sunlight, poorly packaged, do not meet food hygiene standards and are difficult to preserve for a long time.
Recognizing his potential, Thanh decided to learn how to make deo potatoes from households in Hai Ninh and Le Thuy - large potato growing areas in Quang Binh. After carefully researching the process, he started a startup, applying technology to improve product quality.
In 2016, Thanh borrowed 100 million VND to invest in a dryer, vacuum cleaner and open a small production workshop at home. However, due to lack of experience, the first batches of potatoes encounter many problems: too dry, too hard or loss of natural flexibility.
His parents were worried, and his friends were surprised to see him leave his job to major in part-time to make part-time porridge. But Thanh still persevered. He experimented and adjusted each stage for a year, finally finding the optimal formula, choosing high-quality, carefully pre-processed potatoes; drying by machine instead of sun drying to ensure hygiene; packaging for vacuum-packed soap to keep the softeness flexible and prolong the storage time.
Thanks to this improvement, Thanh's part part of the potato retains its natural sweetness, does not need preservatives but can still be used for a long time.
Success after a decade
When the product reached the desired quality, Thanh promoted it on social networks, e-commerce platforms and approached restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions in Quang Binh. At first, friends tried it out of curiosity, but when enjoying it, everyone praised it for its delicious taste and widely introduced it.
Thanks to their perseverance, the Hoang Minh Substrate brand has gradually become known. Thanh expanded the market to the northern provinces, providing products to specialty dealers, helping Quang deo Binh potatoes appear more on the culinary map of Vietnam.
From a small workshop, Thanh's production facility has now been expanded, equipped with modern machinery, increasing the capacity to 10 tons of part-time potatoes/year.
With a selling price ranging from 130,000 - 150,000 VND/kg, the deo potato factory brings in a profit of about 150 million VND/year and creates jobs for 5 local workers.
Looking back on the past, Thanh said: "The most important thing when starting a business is to dare to think, dare to do and not give up. If the product is good, the market will accept it.
From a young man with a degree in business administration, Hoang Huy Thanh has proven that his hometown's specialty can become a solid brand if invested properly.
With his continuous efforts, his deo potatoes are not only a rustic dish but have become a branded specialty, contributing to promoting Quang Binh cuisine further.
