Paris Banh Mi, the Florida-based French-inspired Vietnamese restaurant franchise, is preparing to debut in Memphis with a new site in Collierville at 255 New Byhalia Road.
The new 2,400-square-foot restaurant will move into the Poplar Market Plaza later this year, according to Memphis Business Journal. Fiancees Tin Nguyen and Katherine Frensley obtained the franchise license from Nguyen’s mother as an engagement gift. The couple plans to get married sometime in 2025, but first plans to open this restaurant, which has about 30 locations. While the couple is focusing on opening this site first, they are considering expanding the business to the University of Memphis, Cordova, and Nashville.
While the two have a tremendous opportunity, they do not come from the restaurant industry. Nguyen is currently a practicing psychiatry resident at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, while Frensley is a textile artist who also serves as a substitute teacher for Metro Nashville Public Schools. Nguyen’s mother, Kathy, will manage the restaurants while the two continue to work in their careers. The space Paris Banh Mi is moving into is special for the Nguyen family, as one of Kathy’s Nails is in that center.
“There was a lot of hype in the Vietnamese community about it because of the quality of the food itself and the way it modernized the banh mi scene,” Nguyen tells the Business Journal. “It’s probably the most authentic, but still good banh mi around the state. There was a lot of hype around this new franchise that [shares] the Vietnamese culture with American people. It really resonated with me.”I think there was some need to bring banh mi to Tennessee,” Nguyen said. “Around this area, it’s not a real thing. I think what most people think of banh mi is not a real banh mi.”
When Paris Banh Mi opens later this year, customers can expect various banh mi sandwiches on French baguettes. The restaurant offers a variety of pickled vegetables, pate, and meat options for each sandwich. While banh mi sandwiches are the primary dish, the restaurant also serves burgers, croissant sandwiches, and bun rolls, as well as French-style baked goods and an extensive line of teas and slushes.
