Pho Katy

Family and authenticity have always been of utmost importance, said Duy Nguyen.

Duy Nguyen and his sister Trang moved to the Katy area from outside Ho Chi Minh City in 2010 and immediately got into the restaurant business by opening Pho Trang Noodle House between FM 1093 and Hwy. 6. Trang was the owner, and Duy the general manager.

“In Vietnam, the whole family [has been] in this restaurant industry for a long time,” Duy Nguyen said. “And when [Trang] got here, she decided immediately [to go] into this industry, and that’s why she opened the small business.”

Nguyen said that, after five years of growth, the two were looking for bigger and better opportunities—which led to the selling of the original location and the opening of Pho Katy on Mason Road last October.

The new building is located in a high-traffic area and is three-times larger than the old building. Those two elements, Nguyen said, have allowed the business to keep up with the growing Katy community while not inconveniencing customers with a long drive.

“A bunch of people came out [to the old restaurant] from Katy,” Nguyen said. “So they requested if we have another location in Katy, they don’t have to travel all the way out there.”

Nguyen said his sister has always enlisted his help at her restaurants.

“She actually doesn’t speak English,” Nguyen said. “That’s why I’m here; I have to be here.”