"On a Roll"

Local family gets its product onto store shelves

March 5th, 2008

For more than two decades, the owners of T. Ho Bistro have been serving up their popular spring rolls at their North Knoxville restaurant. Now, fans of the friend Vietnamese pastry can enjoy them at home.

The spring rolls, vegetable and pork variations, have gained a spot on the grocery shelf of the frozen food section at Food City and Ingles stores across the Southeast. And there are plans to eventually expand to other grocery outlets.

"We're just a little name in a big market, but I think the timing was just right, " said Thoai Ho, a member of the family that runs T. Ho Bistro, located at 815 Merchants Drive. "We've had a good following in town."

Ho, 36, is one of three partners who manages T. Ho Foods, a spin-off of the family's restaurant that opened in 1986. The Powell company, which provides customized products to restaurants and distributors, was initially started 11 years ago in an effort to launch the spring rolls into retail venues.

"I think we will find a niche as grocers seek to have more Asian products, " Ho said, adding that Vietnamese food and spring rolls (compared with egg rolls) have been absent from many grocers. "It wasn't a big switch for us. It was just a matter of different packaging."

The spring rolls, which are not pre-cooked, are sold in a package of four. They are also still available at the restaurant, which will remain open indefinitely, as well as an adjecent brew pub called The Pint House, also owned by the Ho family.

Mike Sullivan, frozen food category manager for Food City stores, said the T. Ho spring roll "appear to be gaining favorable customer acceptance."

"Word-of-mouth advertising is going to spread as trial use increases. This is typical for products such as these that do not have a mega marketing budget to launch them to consumers," said Sullivan, adding that the quality, cost and packaging of the product were "excellent."

Decisions to add items to store shelves are made to meet Food City's customers' needs, while achieving the company's sales goals, he said.

-Carly Harrington
Knoxville News Sentinel