OUR STORY · IN THY’S OWN WORDS
Grandma Thy
returns.
I never thought there would come a day when Grandma Thy would return.
01 / WHERE THE DREAM BEGAN
A beginning in Toyama.
Eight years ago, I began my food journey with Pho Ba Thy in Toyama, Japan. It was a small dream, but the people of Toyama welcomed my food with kindness and support. Those memories have stayed with me ever since.
Then life took me in a different direction.
I left Japan and came to Canada, and for a while, I thought the story of Grandma Thy had ended in Toyama.
But eight years later, in a small city called North Bay, that dream found its way back to me.
02 / THE COURAGE TO BEGIN AGAIN
A comment.
A new beginning.
It happened completely by accident.
One day, I saw a Facebook post from someone looking for Vietnamese bánh mì in North Bay. I simply left a comment. I wasn’t planning to start a business again.
But people responded.
They encouraged me. They wanted to try my bánh mì. And step by step, the people around me gave me the courage to begin again.
My friends and my teachers at Canadore College believed in me. My baking teacher, my cooking instructor, my English teacher, and many others encouraged me to take that first step.
Sometimes, we need someone else to believe in us before we find the courage to believe in ourselves.
03 / THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE DREAM
Love, expressed through food.
And behind me has always been my family.
My mother has been one of the greatest inspirations in my life. From her, I learned to work hard, care for my family, and express love through food.
My husband has always stood beside me, encouraging me to follow the passion I once left behind.
And that is how BÁNH MÌ GRANDMA THY was born.
I started small—from my home kitchen, with one bánh mì and one customer at a time.
But to me, bánh mì is more than a sandwich.
It is a way for me to share my love through food.
In every bite, I want you to experience something different—the crunch of fresh bread, the richness of the meat, the tanginess of pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, a touch of heat from chili, and the flavours of Vietnam.
Different flavours coming together to create something whole.
In many ways, that is also the story of my life.
04 / OUR STORY CONTINUES
One bánh mì at a time.
Vietnam is where I was born.
Japan is where the dream of Grandma Thy began.
Canada is where I was given the chance to begin that dream again.
I don’t know how far this dream will go.
But this time, I want to keep going.
One bánh mì at a time.
One customer at a time.
One day at a time.
Eight years later, Grandma Thy has returned.
And this time, our story continues in North Bay.