New owner plans Vietnamese redux with modernized experience at Northland bánh mi spot

Quick service. Customization. Simple menu. Meals made-to-order in front of the customer.

Chipotle was built on this service model. Now Peter Nguyen wants to bring it to his new Vietnamese restaurant, and even use that system to start a franchise of his own.

In August, Nguyen purchased the former Bun Mee Phan restaurant at 4011 N. Oak Trafficway in the Northland. He spent the last few weeks remodeling the building, which he planned to reopen Tuesday as Pho & Bánh Mi Co.

The full-service dine-in and to-go operation is expected to feature favorite menu items from the former Bun Mee Phan, as well as Nguyen’s Pho Good Vietnamese restaurant in Shawnee.

Pho & Bánh Mi Co. plans to offer third party delivery, and later this year or in early 2025, the restaurant will convert to a Chipotle-style ordering system, Nguyen said. Customers will pick out a base (rice, bread, rice noodles or steamed rice), a protein and toppings as they move down the line.

An American journey

A native of Vietnam, Nguyen was just 15 when he left his family and homeland in 1979, first moving to Chicago. After earning a degree in business, he relocated to Overland Park to work at a bank.

He later opened a couple of Chinese restaurants. But in 2012,  Nguyen returned to his roots, taking over Pho Good at 10952 W. 74th Terrace in Shawnee.

He kept in touch with a former assistant manager and she urged him to take over the Bun Mee Phan spot — the restaurant opened in early 2016, then moved and expanded across North Oak in mid-2018 — when the opportunity recently arose. She also became a silent partner in the new venture.

“This is the land of opportunity,” Nguyen said. “I’m very fortunate and grateful to America. God blessed me.”

On the menu

The new owners at Pho & Bánh Mi Co. plan to host events and collaborate with local restaurants, Nguyen said.

Its everyday menu is expected to showcase bánh mi sandwiches — grilled roast beef, grilled pork, lemongrass chicken, caramelized pork belly, fried tofu, and a combination of headcheese and steamed pork; along with Vietnamese iced coffee, salty lemonade and more.

New menu items include:

• Appetizers such as egg rolls, tofu spring rolls, and fried chicken wings.
• Rice Noodle Dish (thin rice vermicelli noodles served with pickles, lettuce, bean sprouts and peanuts). Customers will get a choice of proteins: grilled beef, grilled pork, lemongrass chicken, caramelized pork belly and stir-fried tofu.
• Fried rice dishes will have beef, chicken, shrimp, or a combination of all three. 
• It will later offer beer and wine.

Regular hours are planned for 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. It will be closed on Mondays.

The former owners of Bun Mee Phan couldn’t be reached for comment.

Startland News contributor Joyce Smith covered local restaurants and retail for nearly 40 years with The Kansas City Star. Click here to follower on X (formerly Twitter), here for Facebook, here for Instagram, and by following #joyceinkc on Threads.