Viet Huong expands to Pooler, increasing accessibility of Asian cuisine in city

When Hong Tran and her family opened Viet Huong in 2012, an Asian market located in the bustling enclave of diverse restaurants that is Eisenhower Plaza, she had dreams of one day expanding the store to Pooler. In March, that dream came to fruition when she and her family opened a new location at 210 Grand Central Blvd.

“When we invested in the business that we had in Savannah, we knew that one day we might expand to Pooler. We didn't know it would be so soon,” Tran said.  “We knew that Pooler is definitely booming and growing and we have an opportunity to be part of that.”

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Viet Huong sells a variety of fresh herbs, vegetables and Southeast Asian goods that have amassed a loyal customer base, inciting feelings of nostalgia for those familiar with the foodstuffs and curiosity for those delving into Asian cuisine. For Tran, a big focus has been helping people discover how they can use these ingredients to create their favorite Asian dishes that fit their various dietary restrictions.

With its move to Pooler, it will become one of two Asian markets in the area, the other being Hue Phuong Oriental Food Market on US–80. As she observed the number of Asian restaurants from Korean BBQ spots to hot pot that had opened up in the area over the past two years, Tran knew there was a market for groceries and oriental ingredients in the rapidly growing city.

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Tran said people were grateful when the market opened in Pooler. For many outside of Savannah, it was an inconvenience to have to drive to the city if they wanted to shop at the flagship store.

“It feels really good to kind of fulfill a need. I have so many customers who will walk up to us and say thank you so much for opening a location in Pooler.”

Tran said customers were concerned the original Viet Huong location would be closing down shop, but she assured customers that the goal is expansion and growth. The purchase of the Pooler location came with the gift of being able to own the building on Grand Central Boulevard rather than rent it as they do with the Eisenhower Plaza location. The hope is that they’ll be able to move the original Viet Huong location to another building in Savannah they can own and call home as well.

“We feel very blessed already. It’s whatever the future holds. As of right now, we're just trying to move store one in the future — maybe in the next year or two — and just count our blessings, because there are definitely other stores that may open that are much bigger than us.

“And I guess our customer loyalty will be tested at that moment. But we’re just going to live in the moment.”

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Viet Huong Asian market opens new location in Pooler