![Supannee Saengwong](https://foodtruckmaine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/supannee.png)
Supannee Saengwong
Partner, Luca Café at the Tradewinds Owner, Jasmine Mobile Food Truck
Influenced to enter the food industry by her parents, who were immigrants who worked in the restaurant industry upon their arrival to the United States, Supannee Saengwong often accompanied her parents to work. She notes that the first vocabulary she learned and memorized were recipes and ingredients. Witnessing the great joy that emanated from her parents while serving customers, she desired to enter the culinary industry herself. In 2006, she earned an associate degree in hospitality and hotel management from Middlesex Community College, as well as pursued coursework in the same subjects at Newbury College. Additionally, she completed studies and attended culinary school through Central Maine Community College until 2009.
Since 2021, Ms. Saengwong has excelled as a partner at Luca Café at the Tradewinds in Arundel, Maine, having also excelled as the owner of Jasmine Mobile in Auburn, Maine, since 2010 and two other food trucks, Bubblicious Food Truck and Noodle Street Food Truck. Earlier, she thrived as the area supervisor at Bento Sushi in Bridgewater, New Jersey, where she oversaw more than 20 stores across New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut. Likewise, she was the owner of Jasmine Café, a culinary instructor at Camp Wekeela and general manager at Thai JarEarn, as well as cultivated expertise as a baker, barista, hostess, waitress, cashier and night auditor.
Although her career has been suffused with highlights, Ms. Saengwong is especially proud of her discovery that the culinary arts was ingrained into her DNA, particularly from a formative age. She emphasizes that she feels fortunate and humbled to have found a career in which she could flourish in her passions. Considering her expertise and success, she was featured in the cover of “The Colorful Art of Sushi” by LA Metro in 2019. The Lewiston Sun Journal also recognized her in articles, “Massaman Curry” in 2011, “Sushi on a Roll” in 2014 and “Dim Sum” in 2017.
Ms. Saengwong was named to “Best Things in Maine: Top 10 Asian Fusion” in 2019 and “Best Things in Maine: Top Five Bubble Tea” in 2014. Notably, she won first place in the Chili Chowder Competition in Lewiston, Maine, in 2019.