How a Thao Dien pho shop turns family tradition into global venture

It is one of several franchise outlets created by two brothers who have built their family recipe into the well-known brand Pho Sam Ngoc Linh.

A mother’s love that sparked a pho legacy

The story began at a small pho shop in the 1980s in Ha Nam, now part of Ninh Binh Province. It was run by Tran Cuong who in 1992 stopped selling pho and moved south to begin a new life. 

After settling in Ho Chi Minh City, Cuong and his children shifted to the construction materials business. 

The work was steady, but Cuong’s daughter Tran Thi Lan always missed the lively pho shop back home, the clear broth, and the aroma of grilled ginger, cinnamon, star anise and cardamom drifting through the winter air.

Lan poured that affection into every bowl of pho she cooked for her sons, Nguyen Tu Tin and Nguyen Tien Hai. 

It was this simple, persistent love that later inspired the brothers to create the Pho Sam Ngoc Linh brand, which now operates ten stores across Ho Chi Minh City.

“The soul of pho is the broth,” Tien Hai said.

“We use Ngoc Linh ginseng, sa sung (peanut worms) from the sea, and other fresh ingredients cooked in a Vietnamese ceramic pho pot at the right temperature and timing to preserve both flavor and nutrients.”

Pho Sam Ngoc Linh has taken part in Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper’s Pho Day for many years and has joined the paper’s charity program Xe Pho Yeu Thuong, which provides free pho to the community.

The journey of bringing pho global

The idea of building a global franchise came to Tien Hai after he met international franchising expert Nguyen Phi Van and Nguyen Tuan Quynh, then chairman of the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association. 

Soon after, the brothers launched Pho 'S in 2022 with one aim: bringing Vietnamese pho overseas.

“We want to introduce a new business model,” Hai said.

“A pho shop does not need a large space. It needs a strict process, transparent financial reporting, and simple operations, while still serving authentic pho with minimized costs and staffing.”

He added that the model offers a fully packaged export solution for Vietnamese businesses, allowing them to ship all the ingredients that go into a bowl of pho, from rice noodles and meat to vegetables and medicinal herbs.

After three years, Pho 'S has opened three stores in Vietnam and one in the Philippines. The brand has also received international HALAL certification, paving the way for expansion into the Middle East and Malaysia.

“HALAL certification involves some of the strictest controls, but it is a major market with nearly three billion people,” Hai said. “If Vietnamese products pass, it marks an important step for Vietnamese businesses and goods.”