On the final episode of a three-part Vietnam food tour, we sit down with Dan, a British expat who moved to Vietnam at 22, and his Vietnamese wife Loan. The couple runs nine restaurant locations across Da Nang and Hoi An, including Bikini Bottom, East State, and Poke Bowl. The interview explores their journey from a single street-food cart to a growing restaurant group, the philosophy of hiring and empowering local staff to become managers, and the decision to accommodate deaf and mute employees. Loan explains that expansion was driven more by staff who wanted to manage than by a master plan. They talk about adapting to changing laws, keeping menu prices low even as costs rise, and the value of providing value over maximizing margins. The video also touches on the couple's personal life, including the birth of their first child. Throughout, the focus is on the practical side of being an expat entrepreneur in Vietnam's food and beverage industry.
Key Facts
- The couple now operates 9 restaurant locations across Da Nang and Hoi An, up from 3 businesses when they met 4 years prior.
- Some restaurant locations employ staff who are deaf or mute, and the owners prioritize training local hires for management roles.
- Dan first arrived in Vietnam as a backpacker at age 22 and chose to settle. Loan, his wife, began as an entrepreneur selling milk tea and firewood on the street.
- Dan and Loan became first-time parents just one month before this interview was recorded.
- The couple says their focus is on customer value rather than margins, and they occasionally absorb cost increases rather than pass them on to customers.
