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About Us
Why are we certified?
Obtaining certifications as a woman-owned and minority-owned company serve as a recognition of diversity, promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities in the business landscape. By being certified as woman-owned and minority-owned, PhoLicious demonstrates our commitment to supporting underrepresented groups and fostering a more equitable business environment. part of our mission is to play a crucial role in promoting diversity, driving economic growth, and creating a more inclusive business ecosystem. As well as providing authentic pho to customers around the world!
The PhoLicious story:
MAMA THU & PAPA LE fled Vietnam on a small boat with their daughter, Anh. After being attacked by pirates & saved by Malaysian fishermen, they were taken to the Philippines & arrived in the United States as refugees in the late 1980's. Years later, Mama Thu & Papa Le invested everything they had into opening their own restaurant in St. Louis, utilizing generations of authentic family recipes. Eventually the challenges of running a restaurant added up and they decided to give up her dream of owning a restaurant to focus on family and ensure the success of their only child, Anh.
Fast forwarding to 2002… All of their hard work paid off, as Anh was the first in the family to ever attend college! In 2004 Anh met Joseph, not knowing what the future would hold. With lots of hard work and determination, Anh graduated college in 2008 with a BSN in Nursing.
Fast Forward to 2020…
After many years of marriage, 2 amazing children, and lots of hard work, Joseph and Anh were now living in Texas with successful careers. Anh was an ER nurse & over the years Joseph had worked his way up through the hotel industry and was now a long standing Hotel General Manager. Then the pandemic happened…. The Pandemic caused a lot of people to change how they lived, we were no different. Due to our busy lifestyles, our weekly trips to the local Pho restaurant was family time that reminded Anh of when her mom used to make Pho for her as a child. Once the pandemic was in full effect, enjoying our local Pho restaurants was no longer an option. With our busy lifestyles spending 8-10 hours to make Pho from scratch was no longer an option. Anh was determined to get her favorite meal back into her life!
So what did they do next?
The entire family got involved in brainstorming on how they could make AUTHENTIC Pho in a short amount of time.
First, Anh took the knowledge she learned from Mama Thu, and started to experiment on ways to make the Pho process faster. She was adamant about not sacrificing flavor, taste or authenticity. After many failures, Anh got to a point where the kit was good & satisfied their cravings. However it was not that true restaurant experience we were looking for.
It was time for Mamma Thu & Papa Le to step in! It was time to pass along the family’s Pho recipe that had been passed down generations in Vietnam. Mama Thu’s secret blend of spices was born. With this addition, the PhoLicious Kit became PERFECTION! Our Pho was so good that we made the decision that we had to share it with the world! Right there, the PhoLicious Kit was born May of 2021!
But what came next?
Deciding to start a business in one thing, but putting it into practice is another. At first, PhoLicious was a "side gig." Quickly the popularity took off online. October of 2021 we made the leap of faith to put our house on the market, quit our full time jobs and focused on building PhoLicious full time! In February of 2022, we sold our house, and moved our family into a camper. Why would we do that? It was time to go all in! We used the money from the sale of our house to invest in equipment, a larger location, and more supplies to go all out!
No investors, no family money, no backing of great wealth, it was all up to us; sink or swim!
Amazon is fantastic.. But what else?
PhoLicious was taking off on Amazon, but it was our dream to bring authentic Pho to customers across the Nation! In October of 2021 we were one of the companies selected to participate in the QVC THE BIG FIND contest: a search contest that aims to give new, innovative brands a chance to sell their products to millions of QVC and HSN customers. We virtually met with a selection of 9 judges, and. it did not take much to convince them beyond tasting our Pho that we were a perfect fit for QVC, and we were awarded a Big Ticket! This gave us access to QVC buyers and started our journey of becoming a national brand! (We air LIVE on QVC every few months! Check our homepage for our next LIVE airdate!)
Amazing progress, but we want to share our Pho even more!
In June of 2022, we were invited to attend the Walmart Open call where we would pitch PhoLicious LIVE to Walmart & Sam's Club! Would it finally happen?
Pitch day arrive! Nerves were high, palms were sweaty, hands were shaky, but that would not stop us! Two successful pitches! The buyers took one bite, and they were sold! PhoLicious was on its way to launching in 2 of the largest chains in the world!
We are now available in 50 Sam's Clubs, SEE HERE FOR LOCATIONS, & Walmart early 2024. We cannot thank our customers enough for continuing to share in our love of Pho!
WE THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS FOR SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS AND THE AMERICAN DREAM!
IF WE CAN MAKE IT, THEN YOU CAN TOO!
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