It seems like any time of the day that you drive by Canton Foods (Kwong Tung Foods, Inc.) on 38th St., you will see at least a couple cars in the parking lot. Victor and Juney Wang, their son, Tony, and all 10 of their employees work hard to make Canton Foods the best at what they do.
Each day the family at Canton Foods put their hearts into growing soy and mung bean sprouts and hand-crafting noodles. When the weather is nice, and Canton Foods is making crispy chow mein noodles, the surrounding neighborhood fills with a delicious smell, reminiscent of the Minnesota State Fair. They also make Taiwanese ramen, Japanese udon, Shanghai cu mian, and whole wheat spaghetti, and they are currently expanding their noodle production.
The Wangs exemplify an emerging trend in the management of family enterprises. Victor directs day-to-day operations, Juney oversees sales and marketing efforts, and Tony brings eight years of external work experience with MBA-level insight. His previous corporate leadership roles with Best Buy Company and SUPERVALU, Inc., help align strategic positions.
Canton Foods has been a part of Minneapolis since its start in 1940. It has been part of the Standish Neighborhood since 1982 when Victor and Juney moved the business from its previous location at Cedar and Riverside to its current location at 1840 E. 38th St. Victor is the third owner of Canton Foods. He purchased the business from Michael Murphy (who had purchased it from original owner Rose Wong) in 1975.
Juney and Victor Wang doing a cooking demonstration at Passage to China at Mall of America
Until 1999, Canton Foods was both a wholesale and retail business. Since that time, the Wangs have focused their efforts on manufacturing and wholesaling their wonderful sprouts and noodles. Their products are distributed to restaurants, grocery wholesalers, and food service distributors in the Twin Cities and a five-state region (via distribution partners). Victor and Juney have even been kind enough to cook up some of their delightful noodles for the National Night Out party on the 3800 block of Longfellow Ave.
The company showcases its noodle and sprout offerings online. For additional inquiries, please visit www.Canton-Foods.com.
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