We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lynh Pham. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lynh below.

Lynh, appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Starting a business involves so many moving parts. It is by far the hardest thing I have done in my long career in the restaurant industry; however, naming my business was the easiest decision. Angie’s Vietnamese Cuisine was named after my best friend, Angely Cintron, who lost a long battle to cancer in 2018. To me, Angie was the definition of overcoming adversity. She was confined to a wheelchair, a single mother, and battled breast cancer not once, but twice. She never let her wheelchair slow her down. She was always on the move. Despite struggling as a single mother, she always provided and even helped me with my children. I am happy to share that she did eventually find love before she passed and I am forever grateful she knew that joy.

I named my restaurant after her to remind myself that despite all the difficulties and struggles, I would always give it everything i had.

Lynh, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My parents were Vietnam War refugees and I grew up hearing them talk about wanting to open their own restaurant. When I was 12 years old, I decided that I would carry out that dream. In 2006, I landed my first restaurant job as a cashier. My passion for cooking had always been there, but I was developing a passion for operations. I worked my way up the ladder working at different restaurants ranging from fast food to fast casual to full service. I spent over a decade working as a manager and fell in love with the industry, but I spent so many hours working for someone else. I was missing time with my husband and kids. I wasn’t making time to take care of myself.

In 2017, the years of long hours took its toll. I was diagnosed with Stage 1B2 cervical cancer. After 3 months of treatments, I was deemed cancer free. My energy levels, my body, and my emotional state were not the same. I took a step back from managing, but stayed in the industry. I found joy in building relationships with guests and partnerships with clients. I decided that I would finally go after my dream. I began researching how to start a business.

It took quite a few years of saving, but in 2021 I made the leap and opened a ghost kitchen. I struggled to make ends meet as a ghost kitchen simply because nobody knew the authentic dishes I was preparing. I decided to attend a few markets and festivals to increase my exposure and it took off. I went from only vending at events on Saturdays and Sundays to having 4-6 events per week. Angie’s can be found at breweries, farmer’s markets, and even a few festivals throughout the greater Philadelphia area.

Angie’s mission is to make ethnic cuisine approachable and accessible. We take traditional recipes and tweak them to offer gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan options. We continue to travel with our table and tent set up up to 6-8 times a week. All of our menu items are made to order and cooked fresh on site. Our goal is to grow into a food truck and eventually a brick and mortar location.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started Angie’s, we operated as a ghost kitchen meaning we only offered delivery or pickup via apps such as DoorDash and UberEats. There was no storefront .or signage. No physical location that somebody could visit. We were just a tiny kitchen inside a large unassuming building. When you open these delivery apps, Angie’s Vietnamese Cuisine would not pop up as a nearby restaurant. Potential customers would only see the big hitters: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Wawa, etc. If they wanted to order from me, they would have to search for me. They would only search for me if they knew I existed.

My first step to increasing my exposure was hitting the streets, literally. I printed out menus and business cards and walked around the neighborhood handing them out. My kitchen was by Temple University so I fried up some spring rolls and handed them out for free along with my contact information. My second step was learning the ropes of social media. I started watching YouTube videos and tutorials to help with my posts and increasing engagement. I spent a lot of time on Instagram interacting with other restaurants. I eventually found a local market looking for food vendors. I applied and was accepted. I showed up with a single table and a tiny little fryer. for my spring rolls. I completely sold out! One event grew into two events, then three. I had to keep closing the ghost kitchen to attend these events.

My third step was when I made the decision to close the ghost kitchen aspect and focus only on mobile pop-ups. I started following other food trucks and mobile food vendors on Instagram. I saw food trucks going to breweries so I contacted those same breweries and asked if I could come. I kept telling myself “closed mouths don’t get fed.” I kept asking and if they said yes, I showed up and would sell out nearly every single time. I was disappointed when I had to shift my plan. I thought I would be a ghost kitchen for a year and then shift to a brick and mortar location. I am now just a mobile pop-up vendor with a table and tent. My menu has grown to offer nine items. I have four employees to help with the prep and the events.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My staff and I always joke that we build a restaurant every time we have an event. The statement isn’t far from the truth. We unload 4 folding tables, set up our tent and underneath is an arrangement of coolers, gas griddles, and fryers where we cook all of our menu items fresh to order. Angie’s has garnered plenty of attention due to our humble set up cranking out a menu that is larger than some food trucks. We built our reputation by taking pride in our product and being consistent.

When I first started, I never said no to any event. Every event was an opportunity. I always showed up on time and was ready to give it my all. I had quite a few events that were not at all successful and it was disheartening for sure, but I kept showing up. Eventually customers were telling me about other breweries and wineries to contact. I would contact them and take whatever dates and times were still available.

I made sure I was reliable. I made sure I only brought food I knew was the best it could be despite my humble initial set up of a tiny fryer and a camping stove.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/angiesvietcuisine
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/angiesvietcuisine
• Other: https://linktr.ee/angiesvietcuisine

Image Credits
Radhi Fernandez