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.
A California sea lion pup found last week on a San Francisco street corner is malnourished but “active and quite feisty,” The Marine Mammal Center said Monday.
The sea lion, believed to be about 10 months old, had apparently wandered into city’s Outer Sunset neighborhood and was discovered early Thursday morning, authorities said.
The pup was spotted near 48th and Irving Streets, one block from Ocean Beach and Sunset Dunes park. A trained responder from the Marine Mammal Center was joined by San Francisco park rangers and police officers to safely corral the pup, now named ‘Irving’, into a carrier crate.
Dubbed ‘Irving’ by his rescuers, Irving weighed in at 40 pounds and is considered malnourished, the Marine Mammal Center said.
“The sea lion is active and quite feisty which is a positive initial sign in terms of general behavior,” the center said in a news release on Monday.
During an exam by veterinarians, a series of blood samples were also taken to determine whether there’s any underlying ailment.
Irving is being tube fed a fish smoothie blend two times per day to boost hydration and weight; offers of whole herring will also begin shortly.
The quick actions by police, recreation and parks staff and Ocean Avenue Animal Hospital gave the young sea lion a second chance at life, said Lauren Campbell, animal husbandry manager at The Marine Mammal Center.
“As a roughly 10-month-old pup in his first year of learning how to forage on his own, this animal has a long road to recovery due to his severe malnutrition,” Campbell said. “We are hopeful that in the coming weeks with continued specialized care that this pup starts to make positive strides toward recovery and release.”
Irving will be held in the Center’s Intensive Quarantine Unit until clearing medical protocols, before likely being transferred this week to a traditional rehabilitation pool pen. A long-term prognosis and potential release timeline are not currently known.
After Sunday’s 3-0 loss to the Washington Nationals, the San Francisco Giants headed back to the West Coast. They’re going back to the Bay Area, too.
The Giants have a date with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series at Oracle Park starting Tuesday night.
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So, San Francisco probably wanted to get out of Washington, D.C., with a win. That didn’t happen at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon.
Nationals reliever Andrew Alvarez, the third pitcher used by the team on Sunday, picked up the victory with 4 1/3 innings of work. Giants starter Robbie Ray absorbed the loss, falling to 2-3 this season.
Ray worked six innings, giving up seven hits, three runs (all earned), walking one, and striking out seven Nationals. If the Giants’ offense had found a way to tack on some runs, then Ray’s outing wouldn’t have looked so bad.
The Giants’ bats, though, had eight hits. The big number for Giants manager Tony Vitello to look at in the box score after this one was, well, pretty big. San Francisco left 10 runners on base on Sunday, going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. This indicates that San Francisco had plenty of opportunities to score some runs.
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They just didn’t get the job done.
Let’s go to the bottom of the fifth with the Giants and Nationals in a scoreless tie. With nobody out, the Nationals’ Keibert Ruiz connected for his third double this season. Nasim Nuñez scored to put Washington up 1-0.
With one out, Curtis Mead sent a Ray pitch over the left-field wall, a two-run blast that gave the Nationals a 3-0 lead.
San Francisco had a scoring threat in the top of the eighth inning. With runners at first and second base and nobody out, Casey Schmitt grounded into a double play. Matt Chapman, who was on second base, went to third. But the Giants were unable to bring him home.
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Rafael Devers and Drew Gilbert went 2-for-4 at the plate for the Giants, producing half of the Giants’ hits.
The Giants fall to 9-13 this season, sitting in fourth place in the National League West Division. The Nationals’ record goes to 10-12, good enough for third place in the National League East Division.
All eyes now turn toward Oracle on Tuesday night. It’ll be a chance for two longtime rivals to renew their rivalry.
Baseball fans know that the Giants-Dodgers matchups usually are must-see TV.
That’s probably going to be the case once again as Giants fans watch their team battle the Dodgers. Those lucky to have tickets to the three-game series at Oracle Park will show up in Giants colors, hoping to see Los Angeles head back to Southern California with either a series loss or a Giants’ sweep.
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Buckle up, Giants fans. It’s about to get rowdy at Oracle Park.
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