The Waffle Bus owner Phi Nguyen has spent months trying to lure customers back to the Houston-born restaurant with value deals: $5 chicken sandwiches on Tuesdays, $5 smashburgers on Wednesdays and now a $10 bone-in fried chicken box.
Still, the 14-year-old business is barely hanging on.
In October 2025, Nguyen took out his first loan just to make rent and payroll. He’s borrowed more money since — including another loan last week — leaving him buried in debt. Two business partners have left. He’s cut staff by more than half. He’s spent $5,000 on influencer marketing trying to bring customers back…