Musings on the Restaurant Business

Did you know restaurant services in the US is a $430Vietnamese cuisine blends gained its initial popularity
Billion per year industry? I didn't.Common sense wouldwith a loyal following among Vietnamese people. The
suggest that good restaurants be placed inoriginal Vung Tau restaurant, a twelve-table eatery,
high-income areas such as Silicon Valley. Why thenopened in 1985 on San Carlos Street in San Jose, Calif.
does PaloAlto - Menlo Park - Los Altos have so littleIn less than two years, proprietors Nhan Huynh and
to offer? After all, the population here eats out a lot,Anthony Le moved the restaurant to its current
and with the tech-generated wealth in the hands oflocation at 535 East Santa Clara Street, and went
relatively younger people, the demand is certainlyfrom serving 32 guests to 150.The family opened a
there.Here are some San Francisco restaurants that Isecond Vung Tau restaurant in Milpitas, Calif. in 1996,
would like to see in the valley:-Thep Phenom : Aand four years after that, opened a third Vung Tau in
wonderful Thai restaurant in the Haight-Ashbury districtNewark, Calif. Tamarine, the family's first contemporary
of the city, on Fillmore Street.Vietnamese restaurant in Palo Alto is run by proprieter
-Chez Nous : A French-Mediterrenean fusionAnne Le (the prodigal daughter), and chef Tammy
restaurant, also on the Fillmore, but further up North inHuynh.The Le family and the Vung Tau group offer a
Pacific Heights.Of course, given the Stanford studentgreat example to follow for the likes of Thep Phenom.
population, some cheaper alternatives could also beChez Nous and Pakwan are both on expansion paths.
great to have around. Pakwan is perhaps the bestPakwan has chosen Fremont as the place to go after
Pakistani-Indian restaurant in the Bay Area, but isthe city. Makes sense, because of the density of
conspicuously absent from the valley. In theIndians. They could also go the Tamarine route, and
cheap-eats category, this would be my pick.In the lastopen a classier version in Silicon Valley, rather than the
couple of years, a few good additions have happeneddives they currently have.And if you have spare
to the restaurant scene in Palo Alto, Coupa Cafe beingcapital, and want to buy a promising restaurant
a notable and very successful example. We were atconcept, all of these have their basic right.Great food, I
a dinner party this week with the owners, Nancy andmean.Silicon Valley Entrepreneur and Strategy
Jean-Paul, and listened to their plans for a new CoupaConsultant Sramana Mitra writes about
Cafe on North Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. These areEntrepreneurship, Business Strategy, Emerging
ambitious entrepreneurs.Another successful one isTechnology, Market Moves, and sundry other topics in
Tamarine from The Vung Tau Group. The group'sher Blog "Sramana Mitra on Strategy".