Phở Bắc
Phở Bắc is a Seattle Vietnamese restaurant group known for phở and multiple neighborhood locations.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Phở Bắc is a Vietnamese restaurant group based in Seattle, Washington, whose identity is centered on phở, the Vietnamese noodle soup. The business traces its beginnings to 1982, when Theresa Cat Vu and Augustine Nien Pham opened Cat's Submarine Sandwich Shop in a former insurance office in Seattle's Chinatown–International District, an area that is now associated with Little Saigon. The original shop initially specialized in sandwiches rather than Vietnamese noodle soup. Members of Seattle's Vietnamese community encouraged the owners to add phở, and the dish became so successful that it reportedly became the restaurant's main focus within four months. The business was subsequently renamed Phở Bắc. The restaurant's development reflects both an immigrant-founded neighborhood business and the broader growth of Vietnamese food culture in Seattle. The Pham family expanded beyond the original site, opening additional restaurants under the Phở Bắc name and operating locations under the Phở Việt name. The original restaurant, located near 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street, later moved into a distinctive red, boat-shaped structure. The building had previously served as a float attachment for a Vietnamese Catholic community parade in 2004. Its unusual architecture became closely associated with the restaurant, and the site came to be known as Phở Bắc Boat or simply The Boat. Phở Bắc's Seattle footprint expanded during the 2010s. A Denny Triangle location opened in 2012, and another store was established in Rainier Valley. The group later developed additional concepts and formats rather than relying solely on a single traditional dining room. Phở Bắc Súp Shop opened near the original restaurant on January 1, 2018. The location initially incorporated the wine shop Vita Uva; after that business closed later in 2018, the space was converted into a wine club. The Boat temporarily closed for renovations in November 2018 and reopened on January 1, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a further operational adaptation. In 2020, Phở Bắc launched the Pho Mobile to deliver food, extending the brand beyond its physical restaurants at a time when dine-in service was disrupted. In 2021, the group opened a restaurant on 7th Avenue in Downtown Seattle, with an upstairs bar called Phởcific Standard Time. This expansion broadened the brand's offer from a focused phở restaurant into a collection of related dining and beverage environments. Phở Bắc is positioned as a locally rooted, family-associated Vietnamese restaurant group that combines recognizable phở with distinctive Seattle locations and a flexible hospitality model. Its restaurants have been repeatedly highlighted by Seattle food publications for their soups, takeout, group-dining suitability, and place within the city's Chinatown–International District. In 2023, Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat were associated with Yenvy and Quynh Pham's semifinalist recognition in the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur category. The group remains active in Seattle, with its best-known venues including The Boat, Phở Bắc Súp Shop, and Phởcific Standard Time.
History
Phở Bắc began in 1982 as Cat's Submarine Sandwich Shop, founded by Theresa Cat Vu and Augustine Nien Pham in Seattle's Chinatown–International District. The business operated from a former insurance office in what is now considered part of Little Saigon and initially sold sandwiches. Seattle's Vietnamese community persuaded the owners to add phở, and the soup quickly became the restaurant's central offering. Within approximately four months, the establishment was renamed Phở Bắc, marking the transition from a general sandwich shop to a Vietnamese restaurant identified primarily with phở. The Pham family later expanded the business through additional Phở Bắc locations and restaurants operating under the Phở Việt name. The original site near 12th Avenue and South Jackson Street eventually moved into a red boat-shaped structure. The structure had originally been used as a float attachment for a Vietnamese Catholic community parade in 2004. Its maritime appearance became a defining feature of the restaurant, which was subsequently known as Phở Bắc Boat or The Boat. Expansion continued with the opening of a Denny Triangle location in 2012 and a further store in Rainier Valley. The group also developed more specialized concepts. Phở Bắc Súp Shop opened near the original restaurant on January 1, 2018. It initially included the wine shop Vita Uva, which closed by September of that year and was replaced by a wine club. The Boat closed temporarily for renovations in November 2018 and reopened on January 1, 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Phở Bắc introduced the Pho Mobile delivery service in 2020. This allowed the group to serve customers beyond its dining rooms while public-health restrictions and changing customer behavior affected restaurant operations. In 2021, the company opened another restaurant on 7th Avenue in Downtown Seattle and added an upstairs bar called Phởcific Standard Time. The brand's public profile has been reinforced by local and national food coverage. Condé Nast Traveler described its bowls as among the strongest in a Seattle market known for phở. Eater Seattle has repeatedly included Phở Bắc and its related venues in selections covering reliable restaurants, delivery and takeout, winter soups and stews, Seattle phở, Vietnamese restaurants, the Chinatown–International District, essential restaurants, and lively destinations for large groups. In 2023, the group's venues were associated with Yenvy and Quynh Pham's James Beard Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist recognition. The Boat and Phở Bắc were also included in The Infatuation's 2025 listing of notable restaurants in Seattle's Chinatown–International District.
- 2023
Related venues receive James Beard semifinalist recognition
[1]The Boat, Phở Bắc Súp Shop, and Phởcific Standard Time are associated with the Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist recognition for Yenvy and Quynh Pham.
- 2021
Downtown Seattle restaurant and bar open
[1]A 7th Avenue restaurant opens with the upstairs Phởcific Standard Time bar.
- 2020
Pho Mobile launches
[1]The business adds delivery service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2018
Phở Bắc Súp Shop opens
[1]The group adds a nearby soup-focused restaurant concept.
- 2012
Denny Triangle location opens
[1]Phở Bắc expands into Seattle's Denny Triangle neighborhood.
- 2004
Boat structure is used for a Vietnamese Catholic community parade
[1]A structure later associated with the original Phở Bắc location serves as a float attachment for a community parade.
- 1982
Cat's Submarine Sandwich Shop is founded
[1]Theresa Cat Vu and Augustine Nien Pham establish the original sandwich shop in Seattle's Chinatown–International District.
- 1982
The business becomes Phở Bắc
[1]After adding phở at the urging of Seattle's Vietnamese community, the soup becomes the main focus and the restaurant changes its name.
Products and positioning
A locally rooted Seattle Vietnamese restaurant group focused on phở, neighborhood dining, distinctive venues, takeout, and related bar and hospitality concepts.
Vietnamese noodle soup · 1982
Phở
Phở is the defining offering of the brand: a Vietnamese noodle soup that became the central focus of the original restaurant shortly after being added to the menu. Phở Bắc's reputation and name are closely tied to serving bowls of phở across its Seattle locations, including its original boat-shaped venue and later soup-focused concepts.
Vietnamese restaurant cuisine
Vietnamese soups and related dishes
Beyond its signature phở, the group operates restaurant concepts centered on soups and broader Vietnamese dining. Phở Bắc Súp Shop particularly emphasizes soup-oriented meals, while the wider group serves food for dine-in, takeout, delivery, and group occasions.
Bar and hospitality concept · 2021
Phởcific Standard Time
Phởcific Standard Time is the upstairs bar attached to the Phở Bắc restaurant opened on 7th Avenue in Downtown Seattle in 2021. It represents the group's expansion into a broader dining-and-drinking format alongside its Vietnamese food operations.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Pho Mobile
Seattle, Washington
Phở Bắc introduced a mobile delivery operation during the COVID-19 pandemic to bring its food to customers while restaurant dining conditions were disrupted.
Outcome. The initiative expanded the brand's service model beyond fixed restaurant locations.
Brand decisions
2021
Downtown restaurant and bar expansionProduct launchBackground
The group continued expanding its Seattle restaurant portfolio after the pandemic-era service changes.
Action taken
Phở Bắc opened a 7th Avenue restaurant with the upstairs Phởcific Standard Time bar.
Aftermath
The group broadened its offer to include a combined restaurant and bar destination in Downtown Seattle.
2020
Pandemic delivery expansionStrategyBackground
COVID-19 disrupted normal restaurant dining and increased the importance of off-premises service.
Action taken
Phở Bắc launched Pho Mobile to deliver food.
Aftermath
The brand gained a delivery channel in addition to its physical restaurants.
2018
Launch of Phở Bắc Súp ShopProduct launchBackground
The group sought to extend its restaurant presence near the original Chinatown–International District location.
Action taken
Phở Bắc opened a separate soup-focused concept on January 1, 2018.
Aftermath
The new venue became one of the group's most frequently featured Seattle concepts.
1982
Shift from sandwiches to phởStrategyBackground
The original Cat's Submarine Sandwich Shop added phở after encouragement from members of Seattle's Vietnamese community.
Action taken
The owners made phở the restaurant's primary focus and renamed the business Phở Bắc.
Aftermath
The change established the Vietnamese noodle soup as the core of the brand and enabled its subsequent restaurant expansion.
Recent events
- 2023
Phở Bắc venues associated with James Beard restaurateur semifinalist recognition[1]
Other
Phở Bắc Súp Shop, Phởcific Standard Time, and The Boat were among the venues associated with Yenvy and Quynh Pham's semifinalist recognition for the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurateur category.
- 2021
Phở Bắc opens a Downtown Seattle restaurant and Phởcific Standard Time bar[1]
Product launch
The group opened a restaurant on 7th Avenue in Downtown Seattle and added the upstairs Phởcific Standard Time bar.
- 2020
The Boat closes for renovations and later reopens[1]
Other
The original boat-shaped restaurant, known as The Boat, reopened on January 1, 2020, after a temporary renovation closure that began in November 2018.
- 2020
Phở Bắc launches Pho Mobile during the COVID-19 pandemic[1]
Campaign · Other
The restaurant group introduced Pho Mobile to deliver food during the pandemic, adapting its service model during a period of reduced dine-in activity.
- 2018
Phở Bắc Súp Shop opens near the original restaurant[1]
Product launch
Phở Bắc Súp Shop opened on January 1, adding a separate soup-focused concept to the group's Seattle operations.
- 2012
Phở Bắc opens Denny Triangle location[1]
Other
The Phở Bắc group expanded its Seattle presence with a location in the Denny Triangle neighborhood.
Sources5 sources
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