Robert Strong, Jr.

Did you always know you wanted to work in the culinary industry? How did you discover a passion and interest in food? 

The short answer is No. But I rarely give short answers. I grew up watching my grandpa cook. I would wake up at 4am to the smell of his homemade spaghetti and meatballs, and this was my earliest memory of food. He joined the Navy in 1941 and was a cook during WWII. My mother was a waitress and cook in our small-town diner, so again, I was always around food, I just never considered it as a career. It wasn’t until after I left Active Duty in the Air Force and moved to Charlottesville, VA to work at the National Ground Intelligence Center that I really discovered food, in the form of a Food & Wine Magazine and a Summer Cooking Feature highlighting Thai recipes. I didn’t know it, but this was the inception for my love of Thai Food.

Tell us about the inspiration behind Pretty Thai and how what started as a food truck business is now available at major retailers like H-E-B across the state. 

It all started with that Food & Wine magazine. I started cooking the recipes for my colleagues and they began asking for one of the recipes in particular, a Warm Flank Steak Salad with Mint and Cilantro.  Fast forward a few years later and I was on my second deployment to Fallujah, Iraq in support of Naval Special Warfare, Teams 3 and 5.  I was asked if I wanted to go to Thailand during my mid-tour and I said yes.  This sealed my love for Thai food as I was impressed by the food and culture. In 2011 I moved to Austin, TX to attend Journalism School, but quickly fell in love with the food scene and decided to drop out of UT to attend Culinary School. I had the idea for Pretty Thai For A White Guy while cooking in my kitchen off E. Riverside Drive. While in Culinary School I worked in a few restaurants, to include Uchi, Thai Fresh, and The Peached Tortilla, gaining valuable industry knowledge.  We opened Pretty Thai For A White Guy in January of 2013, and ultimately pivoted to a product brand when people started asking us how they could by our sauces and spices. We started selling at local Farmer’s Markets and were eventually discovered by Central Market in early 2016, launching into their Austin locations that Summer. By 2018 H-E-B discovered us and named us a top 25-Finalist for their Annual Quest for Texas Best competition. We were given shelf placement in just under 200 H-E-B’s in January of 2019, and have been growing the brand ever since.

You are a United States Air Force veteran. Thank you for your service. How do you think your military service has influenced or impacted your entrepreneurial journey? 

I believe the attention to detail instilled during my time in the Air Force has been crucial to my business success thus far. I would also say the focus on Integrity and Excellence. I don’t intentionally try to do what is difficult, but I do believe it is important to do the right thing, and often this is more difficult. I don’t cut corners and I stay true to the principles I live by, and these are all values I learned during my time in the Air Force and overseas.

You recently competed in Rice’s Veteran Business Battle and came in 3rd place. Congratulations! How did you prepare for the pitch competition and what advice might you offer to someone who is getting ready to pitch?  

Thank you! It was my first pitch and an awesome experience meeting so many great Veteran-Owned Founders. I worked with one of my advisors that I was introduced to through my Bunker Labs Veteran Entrepreneur group. He provided a good deal of experience pitching and helped me craft my pitch and focus on staying within my time. Otherwise, I recommend practicing as much as possible. Practice by yourself, in the mirror, in the shower, to your friends, your significant other. Just practice. You need to know your business inside and out and you need to be able to speak to the crowd and own the information. People want to see the passion and that you have full ownership of the information. In the end, you must be you and people will buy this.

How do you define “excellence” in business?

Excellence in business is following the values of honesty, integrity, and doing right by others and yourself. Excellence in all we do was a core value in the Air Force, and we don’t compromise on this for the sake of profit. I think it is important in business to be good to others even if they aren’t good to you. Ultimately the right people see this, and I believe you will be rewarded for your genuineness and honesty.

How did receiving the TBHF scholar award impact your entrepreneurial journey?

Receiving the TBHF Veteran Award was a very big honor, and at its core, a tremendous boost of confidence and validation that I was on the correct path. It is so difficult to know whether what you are doing is working or being noticed. I try to stay involved with people and organizations that show they care, are genuine, and value what I bring to the table. I believe the TBHF is one of these organizations and as a result, I stay plugged in and involved as much as possible. I have been able to meet and learn from several Legends of Texas Business, as well as learn from my fellow Veteran and Scholar awardees. This has kept me on track and focused. I am extremely competitive, so having an organization filled with hyper focused and successful, driven entrepreneurs keeps me pushing.