WACO, Texas — In the heart of downtown Waco sits a restaurant with an owner and employees who hope to inspire future generations of young girls.
Clay Pot is a Vietnamese restaurant that's woman-owned and women-led.
The Le family first started their restaurant in Waco in the 1980s. Since then it has been passed down through the generations and molded into the Clay Pot.
Thanh Le took over in 2007 at the original location near Baylor. The restaurant is now located in the middle of downtown on Franklin Avenue.
"It's a little village of Vietnam," Le said. "Travel to Vietnam through Clay Pot."
Meals are served with lots of love and culture.
"You can expect traditional dishes and then a lot of dishes that she's kind of made out of what her life has been," Jesselynn Back, an employee at Clay Pot, said.
If you take a trip to the restaurant, you'll find that the employees are made up of mostly women.
"We want everyone to know that in food, women can do it all, you know, it's not just at home," Back added. "We could do it in the business."
Because of Le's leadership, Clay Pot has taken off. The restaurant opened its doors back in 2001 and has since moved locations.
"Clay Pot has grown so much because of her and it's because of her," employee Angelissa Mancillas, said. "She helped start the move from over by Baylor to here and all this beautiful architecture."
Each piece of artwork, Le even handpicked herself from Vietnam.
"Everything right here is all her," Mancillas added. "If it wasn't for her taking the lead and creating her vision, we wouldn't have this here."
Le says she is grateful to have a piece of her home in Waco.
"I had a big dream," Le said.
"It's a place that takes you to a different country without having to pay for a plane ticket," Mancillas went on to say.
It's all possible because Le chased her dreams. She hopes her story can inspire young girls too.
"When you have a passion, you can pass through a lot of challenge," Le told 6 News. "Be strong, be encouraged, be positive. I know that there's a lot of things in the society now trying to push them down, but stand on your feet and get up if you fall."
For more information on Clay Pot, visit here.
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