South Grand mainstay Pho Grand to close permanently

After over 30 years on South Grand, beloved Vietnamese restaurant Pho Grand will hold its last dinner service on Monday, June 13.

Owners My and Tami Trinh are planning to retire and made the decision to call time on the beloved restaurant in recent weeks.

Tami Trinh described the move as “bittersweet.” On one hand, she and My feel like they have achieved what they set out to do with Pho Grand. “Our goal when we first opened the restaurant was to have a job and get our kids through school,” she said. “Now it's come full circle; they have both graduated from school, and so my job as a parent is done.”

On the other hand, Trinh said closing the restaurant was “heartbreaking,” especially after more than three decades serving the South Grand community. “When I opened the restaurant, I never in my wildest dreams thought it would last this long,” she said. “You don't have this in the restaurant industry. It's either you make it or you don't. And for us going on 33 years strong means something. Our customers are so loyal. They all have become like close family and friends. I don't think of you as a customer. I think of you as one of my friends.”

Trinh said that she and My are looking forward to a break, particularly in light of the toll the pandemic has taken on the restaurant industry. “Now it's time to focus on us and our health and our happiness.” However, she didn’t entirely rule out the possibility of a return to the industry. “This is not goodbye, it’s see you later,” she said. “You never know. We might come back. Maybe open a small pop-up shop or something if we still love what we do.”

The Trinhs own the building at 3195 S. Grand, but have no plans at present for what will happen to the space following Pho Grand’s closure.