Both the owners, Anh and Vinh, were born in Vietnam and ended up in Texas through different means. Seeking to escape the communism of North Vietnam, Anh’s mother Ngọc found a way to get the two of them to the United States by boat when Anh was only six. They landed in Manassas, Virginia, where Ngọc worked two jobs washing dishes and doing prep work at a restaurant, then sewing curtains in a factory. They later moved to California where Ngọc became a manicurist and worked to save up enough money to open her own nail salon. But one day, plans changed when a friend called to let her know about a restaurant for sale in Texas. Recognizing an opportunity, Anh and her mother headed to the Lone Star State.

In 2000, Anh’s mother Ngọc opened the original Sunflower restaurant in Austin which she owned and operated until selling it in 2017. Voted Best Vietnamese Restaurant by the Austin Chronicle for many years, Sunflower was known for its authentic and flavorful dishes that reminded Vietnamese people of home.

Vinh came to the United States with his older brother Thinh at age 14 and joined the Airforce after high school, leading him to Texas. He worked many different jobs at first, eventually becoming a bank auditor until he grew tired of working for the state and decided to pursue his real estate license in 2016. Anh and Vinh first connected when her mother bought several investment properties from Vinh. The two were drawn to each other by their shared passion for entrepreneurship and soon knew they wanted to open a restaurant together.

After months of careful thought and planning, Anh and Vinh decided to reopen Sunflower to bring her mother’s dream back to life again. Anh was able to hire the entire kitchen staff from the original restaurant, so the same recipes will be cooked by the same chefs as before, only in a beautiful new modern space. Vinh’s brother Thinh will also be helping the two of them manage and cook at the restaurant, fulfilling his lifelong aspiration of having a restaurant in the family after spending many years in the industry.

So why the name Sunflower? When Anh was little and still living in Vietnam, the pathway leading to her grandparents’ home had huge sunflowers growing on each side. She was terrified to walk past them because she thought they would lean down and eat her. She cried every time she walked past them and everyone in the family teased her. It became a known family joke that her mother kept alive with the name. These days, as Anh has gotten older, she’s learned to appreciate sunflowers for their bright color and happy vibes. Now they remind her of a big smiling face, and she hopes Sunflower radiates that same positive energy to our guests. We’re excited to be back and grateful to have you along for the journey.