Eatery Serves Up Tasty Vietnamese Soups To Health-Conscious Americans Story by Chris Felker • Photos by Abner Pedraza
You might think that in steamy South Florida, a restaurant specializing in soups wouldn’t have much of a chance. If so, you’ve never been to Pholicious in the Mall at Wellington Green. Located in the mall’s food court, Pholicious owner Jake Hoang and his staff turn soup tasters into soup lovers who keep coming back for more — and
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they’ve been doing so for over three years now. That’s only about as long as the Vietnamese comfort food chain has been around. Founded in Tampa four years ago by a Vietnam native, Pholicious has grown to more than 30 locations in 14 states, with more planned to open soon. Hoang, 38, was also born in Vietnam,
but has lived in the United States since 1980. He has been in Wellington with his wife, Nikki, and two children for almost three years. He opened South Florida’s first Pholicious location in October 2012 and now supervises several Florida outlets. “We want to introduce healthy food into the fast-food market,” Hoang