Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc continues to receive public attention surrounding the conflicting story about brand and franchise.
Amidst this controversy, many diners in Hanoi said that shops named "Pho Thin" appear everywhere, but the taste is not the same in every shop, and many shops are even different from the taste of Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc at 13 Lo Duc (Lo Duc, Pham Dinh Ho, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi). For many tourists from far away coming to Hanoi, they feel even more confused by the dozens of different Pho Thin shops.
"I once traveled to Hanoi and ate Pho Thin at 13 Lo Duc. In early 2023, I returned here and stayed in the Cau Giay area. Walking around this area, I came across 3 shops with the sign Pho Thin. The signs all had the words "Pho Thin Lo Duc" but the design, color and image of the chef were slightly different. I chose a spacious restaurant with parking space, but when I ate, I found the taste not very appealing," said Mr. Tran Manh Hung (Dong Nai).
Mr. Quang Thanh (Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi) - a resident of Hanoi but also cannot distinguish the Pho Thin restaurants "springing up" everywhere. "Previously, I worked in the Hoan Kiem area so I often ate Pho Thin at 13 Lo Duc. After moving to the My Dinh area, I rarely had time to go to the above establishment. However, around My Dinh, there are also 4-5 restaurants with the sign Pho Thin Lo Duc. I tried it and found that the way to prepare Pho Thin with rare beef and lots of onions is similar to Pho Thin at 13 Lo Duc, but some restaurants are good, some are not so good", said Mr. Thanh.
In Hanoi there are many shops named "Thin Lo Duc"
When searching for "Pho Thin Lo Duc" in Hanoi on Google, visitors can find a list of dozens of different restaurants with the name "Thin Lo Duc", scattered throughout the districts. Most of these pho restaurants are rated 4 - 4.5 stars by the online community. However, they find it difficult to choose because they do not know which address truly has the flavor of Pho Thin at 13 Lo Duc. When the "Pho Thin Lo Duc" scandal broke out, many people were startled: "Which Pho Thin I am enjoying?"
On February 28, speaking with VietNamNet reporter, Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin, owner of Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc restaurant, said that up to now, there are 24 franchised establishments in the "Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc" brand chain; including 12 establishments in Hanoi, 1 establishment in Hung Yen, 1 establishment in Quang Nam, 2 establishments in Da Nang, 1 establishment in Hai Phong, 1 establishment in Quang Ngai, 1 establishment in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, 1 establishment in Ho Chi Minh City and 4 foreign establishments named "Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc" in Japan, Indonesia, the United States and Australia. The other "Pho Thin" restaurants were not trained or sponsored by Mr. Thin.
According to Mr. Thin, the 24 establishments above ensure the following factors: First, the establishment manager or the main chef appointed by the establishment owner is trained by Mr. Thin in the technique of cooking pho with the right taste of the "Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc" brand; Second, these establishments are transferred technology and business secrets by Mr. Thin; Third, the above establishments have interaction between the franchised establishments with each other, between Mr. Thin and the establishment itself. Mr. Thin can regularly or suddenly come to check whether the pho cooking technique has the right taste of the "Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc" brand or not. Fourth, when these establishments open, Mr. Thin will directly cook for 7-10 days.
According to Mr. Thin, there are some stores that are not on the above list but he has agreed to open stores and teach pho cooking under the brand name "Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc", including: "Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc" at Hoang Ngoc Phach (Hanoi); "Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc" at Vingroup's Vinpearl facilities; "Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc" at the Government Guest House No. 35 Hung Vuong.
"In my chain, all restaurants must follow a certain formula and agree on a unique flavor," Mr. Thin shared. According to him, the climate, soil and water sources at each location also partly affect the flavor of a bowl of pho.
Mr. Thin said that about a week ago, he learned about the existence of two companies in the "Pho Thin ecosystem", which are the Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc Hanoi Brand Preservation and Development Partnership Company and the VieThin Group Joint Stock Company.
According to information searched on the website of the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam, Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc has filed an application for trademark protection with a new identity including numbers and images but is still in the "processing" status.
Meanwhile, the trademark "Pho Thin" is protected by the authorities and prevents infringement for Pho Thin Bo Ho (on Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hanoi), has been re-registered and is valid until 2024.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin said that he and his lawyer are working to resolve legal issues related to the brand. Mr. Thin expressed his hope that diners coming to Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc will only focus on enjoying the food and put aside the endless disputes.
The scandal between Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin and his "successors" surrounding the Pho Thin 13 Lo Duc brand is just one of many conflicts within traditional brands. Previously, there were many conflicts leading to brand separations at Huynh Hoa bakery, Duc Phat Bakery, Thu Huong Bakery... These incidents all attracted great attention from the public.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Thin interviewed by VietNamNet on February 28.
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