How to Open a Pho Restaurant

Beef Pho BowlUpdated 01-20-19. Want to know how to open a pho restaurant? You've come to the right place.

I've created this series on how to open and operate a pho restaurant, end to end, to help aspiring pho restaurateurs to achieve their dream. Not everyone can do this restaurant thing; it's restaurant business after all (read: hard work, really hard work).

But for the few who have the heart and the desire, they can definitely find great pleasure, satisfaction and success.

I'm always involved in one pho restaurant project or another. As I start to help others open their own pho restaurant concepts, I've gathered plenty of experience on how to do this, and I knew this is a great opportunity to share with others tips and guidance on how to open and operate a pho restaurant concept.

For the aspiring pho restaurateurs, I hope these articles can give you additional help to prepare and deal with the challenges ahead Knowledge is power after all, and it is especially true in the restaurant business. Having this knowledge I'm sharing also means that you will avoid wasting major time and money like others have done before you.

I'll be sharing ideas and steps to take on all aspects of designing, building out and successfully operating a pho restaurant. We'll be going over concept development, design, kitchen operation analysis, and buildout of a pho restaurant. We'll be talking about customer service, staff training, front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house operation and procedures. We'll be discussing recipes, ingredients, food costs and labor costs, and how to deal with suppliers as well. Lastly, we'll also touch on the areas of inventory control, food safety and sanitary issues.

I hope this series will be interesting to many pho customers (the consumers), and will benefit existing and potential pho restaurant operators alike.

For those needing help immediately or having very specific questions, you can book a one-hour pho restaurant consultation below and get your questions answered.

Consultation in Vietnamese and/or English as you prefer.

You will be booking in your local time zone, based on location of device you’re using.
My location is San Diego, CA, USA (Pacific Time Zone (PT), Western US).

6 comments

  1. Cuong Huynh 3 January, 2014 at 15:53 Reply

    @G-h: Chào bạn, bạn cần biết phương pháp nấu phở cho thức ăn tốt, nhưng bạn muốn nấu cho ăn ở nhà hay cho nhà hàng? Hai cách nấu rất khác biệt nhau. Và nếu cho nhà hàng, thì bạn cho biết thêm một vài chi tiết qua trang sau đây:
    (If you would like to make good pho, please indicate whether it’s for home cooking or for restaurant. If it’s for restaurant, then please use the form from this link below:)
    Pho restaurant consultation.

  2. Gary 3 March, 2014 at 10:53 Reply

    Hi Cuong,
    I’m doing my research before making a decision to open a pho restaurant in Jacksonville FL area. I just moved from SJ, CA to this area and I think there is opportunity to start this business here. I have worked in corporate and had my own business in the last 20 years, but never in food services. I know each restaurant is different, but could you share with me whatever info you have regarding to:
    1. Initial cost to setup a pho restaurant (for about 50 seats)
    2. Operating cost to run it
    3. What are the must-have equipments in the kitchen for a pho restaurant.

    Thanks much,
    Gary

  3. Cuong Huynh 3 March, 2014 at 23:50 Reply

    @Gary: Hi Gary,

    1. Initial investment for a 50 seat restaurant can range from below $200k to $400-500k depending on what your concept is. This means how you serve, how you prep and how you cook for the customers.

    2. I don’t think anyone can tell you the operating cost of running a pho restaurant. Many people pay labor under the table and brag about how good their restaurant runs and how fast they recoup their costs back. Other people are too stubborn to learn the right way to run it so their cost is very high. In general, the national statistics of 30% labor, 20-30 % food cost should hold.

    3. Must have equipment depend on your concept. It may range from mom-and-pop cheap price and no service all the way to full-service high quality high priced menus. In between you may have QSR or quick service restaurant that can take many shapes and forms. A mom and pop style place can have cheap equipment. A high volume, more modern place can have open kitchen with cool and modern ambience. So it depends on what you want.

    Let me know if you have any more questions. If you are serious about opening your own pho restaurant, and you are ready to work really hard to make it a success, then I can go into a lot more details. Please see private reply.

  4. Trang Ton 14 January, 2020 at 10:32 Reply

    Hello there.
    Mình muốn mở tiệm phở ở Montgomery, TX khoảng 30 chỗ. Ban có thể tư vấn về cách mở, diện tích khoảng bao nhiêu và cần bao nhiêu tiền?
    Cám ơn.

    • Cuong Huynh 14 January, 2020 at 11:28 Reply

      @Trang Ton: Thank you for inquiring. I can provide consultation over the phone if you make reservation for a date and time using the calendar above. Consultation can be in English or Vietnamese.
      Thank you.

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