With the adjacent storefront vacant, Huynh said that she saw how knocking down the wall between the two would create a larger space for her business.
“Pei Wei had 3,000 square feet, and my old space had 3,000 square feet. It’s the same,” said Huynh, who co-owns the restaurant with her husband, Sonny Tran. “I need a bigger space, so that’s why I [made] the decision.”
That vision became a reality at the beginning of October. Huynh said the transition has been smooth with most customers having previously gone to the old location in the Shops at The Galleria.
The larger space has even allowed Huynh to introduce a robot that can make table deliveries. While the four-tiered machine is not for hot soups, it delivers other dishes such as stir frys, Huynh said.
Huynh said the Bee Cave location has been pivotal to her ability to add locations in Dripping Springs and Marble Falls.
“We’re the only ones that serve pho in this area,” Huynh said. “They know pho.”
The restaurant has a range of Vietnamese dishes, including pho ($11-$15), vermicelli ($12-$15) and banh mi sandwiches ($6-$7). However, Huynh said the restaurant’s success hinges on variety, as it also has classic Thai dishes, such as curries ($12), and Chinese dishes, such as kung pao chicken ($14).
In addition to food, her boba tea has been popular among take-out customers, Huynh said.
“Boba is really very famous,” Huynh said. “It’s just like a treat in the middle of the day.”
Huynh plans to grow her business and possibly branch into prepared food. She said that before she started the restaurant, she planned to create a frozen pho business.
Huynh plans to open a ramen restaurant in the space she vacated at the Shops at The Galleria.
Simply Pho House
12913 Galleria Circle, Ste. 101, Austin
512-263-8889 | www.simplyphohouse.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-8:45 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9:45 p.m., Sun. noon-8:45 p.m.
