Austin’s growth has also brought an influx of Asian-Americans, who now make up 6.5 percent of the population, according to city data.

The Lee family is no stranger to serving Asian-Americans. In 1983, Tom and Thang Lee opened My Thanh Market, which means “beautiful victory” in Vietnamese, selling fresh and packaged food products from China, Taiwan and other Asian countries.

Now called MT Supermarket, the Chinatown Center-based market is the largest international grocery store in the area and sees customers from as far away as San Antonio and Killeen, said Pat, the Lees’ son.

“People would make monthly trips because they didn’t have [a closer option],” Pat said.

Tom and Thang emigrated from Vietnam in 1979 and settled in Houston, Pat said. They moved to Austin in 1983 to open the grocery store.

“My parents are the constant,” Pat said of the success of the family’s businesses. “They didn’t know the language or know the culture [in the U.S.]”

The family later developed Chinatown Center on North Lamar Boulevard. In 2006, the center opened with the expanded MT Supermarket.

At 65,000 square feet, Pat said the expanded grocery store has several aisles dedicated to kitchen utensils common to many Asian cultures.

Although MT Supermarket still caters to Asian families, Pat said the store also responds to customer demands, such as for ramen or pho noodles.

Increased interest in Asian cuisine led Pat’s family to open two restaurant chains, contributing to the popularity of pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup.

“When I was growing up the only place you could get pho was if you make it at home,” he said.

In 2006, Pat and his wife, Sara, opened a Pho Saigon Vietnamese Noodle House in Austin. They later opened five locations of fast-casual eatery PhoNatic.

“We realized many people didn’t know Vietnamese food,” Pat said. “Our goal was to take the intimidation factor out of it.”