San Francisco, CA
Bun Mee: A Vietnamese Sandwich Shop Primed To Move Beyond San Francisco
Denise Tran has opened 5 Bun Mee’s in San Francisco, specializing in Vietnamese bahn mi sandwiches … [+]
Some consumers are looking for alternatives to the steady diet of burger, pizza and tacos that dominate the U.S. restaurant landscape. Denise Tran, a San Francisco restaurateur, has an answer for them. She operates 5 San Francisco-based Vietnamese sandwich shops, Bun Mee, specializing in bahn mi (more about that later) and is looking to franchise outside of California.
“How did the taco get exposure and become part of the American mainstream? So why not bahn mi? And why not now?” Tran wonders.
Bun Mee debuted in San Francisco in 2011 when Tran spent its first three years educating its guests what exactly banh mi was. When it opened, the only places one could find banh mi sandwiches in San Francisco were in Chinatown or Little Saigon but hardly anywhere else, she suggests.
She named it Bun Mee because most people mispronounced it and she liked the pun, since it explains how to pronounce the name phonetically. Tran was raised in New Orleans, lived in New York City before moving to San Francisco.
Bun Mee has expanded to two restaurants, in Pacific Heights and the financial district, two in airport terminals, and just opened its fifth in the Marina district. She says the airport locations generated $4.3 million and $3.6 million last year, and the other two, $1.7 million and $1 million.
She’s starting franchising now because “We’re the healthiest we’re ever been financially in terms of profitability and top-line sales. And we spent time working on our internal processes.”
A San Francisco Vietnamese sandwich shop has grown to 5 locations and is testing franchising to expand.
She recognizes there are risks in franchising, namely, “losing quality, not having consistency, people doing their own things and location risk.” But she’s pursuing franchisees who are experienced rather than just those “who have the money.”
Bahn mi sandwiches are served on French baguettes, a tradition that the French brought to Vietnam in the 19th century. Vietnamese bakers gradually transformed the baguette into a “lighter, crisper bread that’s ideal for bahn mi,” she explains.
They’re Different from Tuna and Chicken Salad
Some of the most popular sandwiches served as Bun Mee include five spice chicken, lemongrass pork, lemongrass tofu and its sloppy bun, a take on the sloppy joe sandwich but made with lemongrass curry.
How Bahn Mi Sandwiches Differ from Subs
Compared to typical submarine sandwiches served in the U.S., bahn mi combines Southeast Asian flavors with French bread and features Vietnamese ingredients such as pickled vegetables, fresh cilantro, pate and distinctive sauces.
Indeed its bahn mi sandwiches differ from the American sliced deli sandwiches because “We marinate, braise and sous vide our proteins. Our lemongrass pork is bursting with flavor and married with fresh lemongrass, garlic and spices,” Tran notes.
When Tran launched her first Bun Mee, she capitalized it mostly with her own funds supplemented with a few friends and family investors. Indeed she currently owns 80% of the business.
Techies Are Attracted to Its Bahn Mi Sandwiches
She compares the target audience to that of Starbucks as “educated techies ranging from 25-55 who value high quality food and well-traveled professionals who are foodies.” Most of its clientele is white with only 10% Asian.
Expanding bahn mi to a more national chain is one of her goals. She notes that the “sandwich category is one of the largest in fast casual and it’s a shame currently to not have an Asian option as part of the discussion.”
Customer reaction on Yelp to dining at Bun Mee was mostly positive with certain exceptions. For example, Jonathan from Montclair, N.J praised the food as being “tasty, well-made and a pleasure to eat.” But he described it as “Americanized Vietnamese food.”
Emily from San Francisco enjoyed her “lemongrass pork rice bowl with garlic rice and a side of bone broth. Everything was super flavorful and tasted fresh, and the prices were very reasonable.”
In terms of franchising, Tran is targeting Denver since it’s a tech hub and a growing city, with a demographic similar to its San Francisco clientele. But she’s open to other locations out West that she can reach quickly.
In 2025, her goal is to open 5 new franchised locations in its first year. She says keys to its success include: 1) Having the right executive team in place, 2) Executing on its plans, 3) Choosing quality franchisees in the initial round.
Tran also sees the growth of Bun Mee as a symbolic Vietnamese success story, counteracting much of the recent anti-immigrant backlash. “I understand now that Bun Mee means more to my community than just Vietnamese sandwiches. In light of the division and rhetoric that divides us currently, it makes me feel honored to bring people together via food,” she asserts.
Police, firefighters prepare for large crowds at San Franciscos NYE fireworks
San Francisco firefighters were preparing for a busy night on New Year’s Eve, with the department expecting 100,000 revelers to watch the fireworks along the Embarcadero with a heavy police presence, attracting onlookers from near and far.
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco firefighters were preparing for a busy night on New Year’s Eve, with the department expecting 100,000 revelers to watch the fireworks along the Embarcadero with a heavy police presence, attracting onlookers from near and far.
“The people here, just the whole excitement, the lights, everything, the food here. It’s San Francisco. Can’t beat it,” said Rob Cheung of Sacramento.
“My new year’s resolution is to try to retire,” said Sandi Castaneda of Redwood City.
At Fire Boat House 35, firefighters were suiting up for any emergencies, including injuries from celebratory gunfire.
On the same night last year, fireworks would prove to be deadly on Treasure Island.
“Unfortunately, it was an 18-year-old kid. He had set off a firework, didn’t go off, and he went over to check over it, stood over it, and he succumbed to his injuries when it did go off,” said Lt. Mariano Elias of the San Francisco Fire Department.
Fireboats patrolled the water, where the professional fireworks display was set off.
The California Highway Patrol is looking for drunk drivers, after making nearly nine hundred arrests statewide during last new year’s maximum enforcement.
“We’ve seen lives ended. We’ve seen people hurt. We’ve seen families destroyed,” said Sgt. Andrew Barclay of the CHP Golden Gate Division.
Officers are warning people to get a sober driver or book a ride-sharing company.
“Whatever the cost is for that ride is going to be far less than a DUI.”
Muni, Caltrain, and SamTrans all offer free rides on New Year’s Eve until the following morning.
Christopher Anderson of Alameda and his girlfriend were on their way to a disco party in the city and celebrated responsibly.
“We just took the ferry to get here, which is a nice way to come in, and then we’re going to take an Uber, and then after that I think we’re going to walk,” said Anderson.
The San Francisco Fire Department had extra ambulances ready to go during the fireworks show and cities like Oakland planned DUI checkpoints.
At least for the moment, ESPN Bracketology expert Joe Lunardi isn’t picking the Gonzaga Bulldogs to come home with another West Coast Conference Tournament championship this season.
Despite being in the No. 1 seed conversation for most of nonleague play, the Zags (9-4, 1-0 WCC) tumbled down to the 4-seed line in ESPN’s latest forecast that was released Tuesday, a few days removed from a 65-62 loss to UCLA. San Francisco, making its first appearance on ESPN Bracketology in 2024-25, is Lunardi’s new pick to earn the WCC’s automatic bid.
Checking in on the 12-seed line, the Dons (12-3, 2-0 WCC) sit at No. 61 in the NET, which is fourth-best in the WCC behind Gonzaga (No. 7), Saint Mary’s (No. 55) and Oregon State (No. 56). The Gaels (11-3, 1-0 WCC) have been teetering on the bubble throughout nonconference play and currently fall in Lunardi’s “First Four Out” grouping with Missouri, Iowa and Northwestern.
The Bulldogs, who were picked to win the WCC in the league’s preseason coaches poll, haven’t had to worry about their postseason aspirations like many in Spokane were doing this time last year. Gonzaga backed up some of its preseason hype with notable wins over Baylor, Arizona State, San Diego State and Indiana during nonleague play. Those victories helped vault Mark Few and company up to No. 3 in the first NET Rankings that were released on Dec. 1.
San Francisco doesn’t have a marquee win on its resume yet, though an NCAA Tournament case can be made from having zero “bad” losses just as well. That’s sort of where the Dons find themselves heading into the thick of league play, where they’’ have a few opportunities to pick up quality victories outside of just Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s. Beating either one of the league’s top two programs for the past two decades would certainly help the Dons’ postseason case, too.
San Francisco added to its at-large resume following a 97-94 overtime thriller against Santa Clara at the Hilltop on Monday. Senior guards Malik Thomas (34 points) and Marcus Williams (23 points) helped the Dons overcome a 10-point deficit while earning their second Quad 2 win of the season. San Francisco also holds an 84-73 victory over Boise State.
Gonzaga and San Francisco won’t be able to settle things head-to-head style until they meet in Spokane on Feb. 13. The Zags return the favor a few weeks later when they battle the Dons in the regular season finale from the Chase Center on March 1.
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The San Francisco 49ers suffered a heartbreaking 40-34 defeat to the Detroit Lions in their Week 17 matchup on “Monday Night Football.” Despite being eliminated from playoff contention, the 49ers played with pride in their final home game of the 2024 season at Levi’s® Stadium. In a contest that featured big plays and plenty of momentum swings, San Francisco fought until the end, but ultimately fell short.
Here are six takeaways from the Lions-49ers game
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