AAPI Heritage Month NM Virtual Vendor Fair

Victoria Sithy has been working in the restaurant industry for more than 15 years, an impressive feat considering Sithy's age at only 30 years old. She started in the industry cleaning tables at 15, waitressing at 17 and then at 21 partnered with her siblings to open their first family restaurant. Since then, they've owned and operated 3 restaurants total. Their second restaurant, Asian Bistro, quickly made its way to the number one spot on TripAdvisor's list of "Best Restaurants in Janesville." Their newest venture, Sweet Basil, opened in April 2020 with a menu filled with Lao and Thai-style street eats reminiscent of the night markets in Asia. Sweet Basil has allowed the Sithy family to experiment with Asian-American fusion dishes as well including dishes like Caramel Apple Eggrolls and Buffalo Chicken Rangoons. The Sweet Basil team also puts an emphasis on practices that are eco-friendly and supportive of their community: offering free meals to families in need the first Wednesday of each month, donating quarterly to local charities, and using only compostable or recyclable packaging for 90% of their curbside takeout containers. Victoria is also pursuing a career in Marketing, currently working as a Marketing Communications Specialist at Felins, Inc., a manufacturing company that focuses on sustainable packaging solutions for their clients.