Pho Nam started as a six-seat counter operation in central Lviv in 2022. The founders, Mykola Duda and Iryna Savchenko, had spent two years refining their pho broth recipe and sourcing consistent Vietnamese herb supplies through a Kyiv importer. Revenue was stable but capped by physical space. When a neighboring office building approached them about a weekly catering arrangement, they had no established process for bulk orders, no packaging solution, and no pricing structure for volume delivery.
The Situation Before Scaling
Their existing setup was optimized for dine-in only. Broth quality degraded when transported in standard containers. Garnishes wilted. Delivery timing conflicted with the lunch rush. A single failed pilot order to a 40-person office resulted in complaints about temperature and presentation.
| Problem Area | Specific Issue |
| Packaging | No insulated containers for broth separation |
| Staffing | No dedicated prep person for bulk orders |
| Pricing | No volume discount structure existed |
Changes Implemented Over 60 Days
Duda sourced double-walled thermal containers that kept broth above 75C for 45 minutes. A part-time prep assistant was hired specifically for morning bulk production. A tiered pricing sheet was created for orders of 10, 25, and 50 portions. Three corporate clients were onboarded within the first quarter of the restructured operation.
Outcome
B2B catering now represents roughly 40 percent of monthly revenue. The dine-in operation continues unchanged. The critical factor was not the food quality, which was already strong, but the logistics infrastructure built around it.