A new Vietnamese restaurant — Bon Banh — opened in Hoboken on May 10th after months of anticipation. This fast-food eatery took over Stacks Pancake House at 506 Washington Street. Diners can finally try out this Vietnamese spot, and Hoboken Girl has learned exclusive details of what customers can expect when they go. Read on to learn more about Bon Banh in Hoboken.
How Bon Banh Came to Be
The name of the restaurant has some significance. “Bon” means “good” in French and “Banh” comes from the popular Vietnamese food, Banh Mi sandwich, which is usually served on a baguette. The name was coined by the owners Tony Kim and Kathy Kim, who told Hoboken Girl, “Vietnamese food is influenced very heavily by the French culture so we thought it tied in nicely with the restaurant.”
Read More: Pier 13 is Open for 2022 Season
The husband-and-wife duo from Cresskill, NJ have been eyeing the location for quite some time. Things took a turn while dining in Hoboken one day in August.
“It’s a funny story. We were looking for a while in Hoboken, but as you know it’s a very tough place to find a location for a business, so we kind of gave up on the idea and we started looking elsewhere,” Kathy, a former finance business manager, said. “But one day, we were walking around and we walked past Stacks and we finally saw a number on the window and we called it. The next day we went to go look at it, and that’s how we got it.”
(Photo credit: @StacksHoboken)
Stacks Pancake House & Smokehouse BBQ had been vacant for over a year. The rumor was that there was a dispute between the previous owner and the landlord, which is why it took a while for the space to become available.
About Bon Banh
Before Bon Banh, the Kims owned a deli in New York City called Angela’s Sandwich Shop, which was located at 1428 6th Avenue. Due to Covid-19, the owners, who have been in the food business for 12 years, were forced to close down the shop in March 2021.
“My husband always had an interest in the food industry. He took over an already established deli in the city and made some changes to it to make it his own, which is how Angela’s Sandwich Shop came about,” Kathy shared. “It was doing very well, but unfortunately we had to close it because it was impacted heavily by Covid.”
(Photo credit: @angelassandwichshop)
The inspiration for Bon Banh came from Angela’s Sandwich Shop.
“We did Banh Mi sandwiches at our place in NYC. It did very well, so we just kind of took that idea and brought it over to Hoboken,” Kathy says. “We thought we can take the Banh Mi sandwich and do something where we can incorporate more Vietnamese food and bring it to Hoboken.”
Bon Banh’s Beachy Vibe
The menu at Bon Banh’s isn’t available online just yet, but the Kims previously shared some of what’s being served. They told Hoboken Girl that in addition to Banh Mi sandwiches, there will be summer rolls and rice bowls.
“It’s going to be like a choose what you want in [the dishes] and we’ll make it on the spot. It’ll sort of be like an assembly line like Chipotle. It’s quick-serve style, casual dining,” Kathy says. “People can come in, order their food at the counter, and then they can take it to go or dine in. Seating will be available.”
The owners mentioned there is “something for everyone,” including various meats like “pork, shrimp, chicken, and beef,” as well as “vegetarian, tofu options.”
As far as the décor, Bon Banh is blue-themed and has a “beachy vibe with an Asian influence.”
See More: TikTok Star Lynja Visited Hoboken’s Trader Joe’s
Open Now
Despite an opening plan of mid to late December, Bon Banh has just opened in May of 2022.
“We’re so excited to finally be able to secure a spot in Hoboken. We love the energy, the people, the whole vibe. We’re just excited to be there,” Kim commented.
Bon Banh currently does not have a website or any social media, but the owners are working on having everything up and running in a short period of time.
Stay in the know with @thehobokengirl on Instagram here and TikTok here.
