Blogs

9 Best Places to Eat in San Francisco International Airport

Bun Mee — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:37:35 GMT

SFO is one of the best airports for eating in the country, so we point you to the best of the best spots to devour great food.

Once upon a time, airport dining was a laughing stock. But no more. Especially at San Francisco International where the ample eating options are on a higher level than most airports. You might miss your flight being indecisive. Let us help you make a decision. Here are the nine best places to eat at SFO.

Could This SF Sandwich Shop Be California's Next National Chain? | Bun Mee

Bun Mee — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:18:09 GMT

When it comes to banh mi, San Francisco’s Bun Mee wants to be the name on everybody’s lips. The fast-casual Vietnamese sandwich chain, which already has four San Francisco locations, just announced plans to expand into a national franchise. They’re also opening a new flagship location in the Marina District later this month.

“Expansion and growth was always part of our strategy, even when I just launched our first [restaurant] on Fillmore Street in San Francisco about 13 years ago,” said Bun Mee founder and CEO Denise Tran. “My dream was always to make banh mi sandwiches part of everyone’s lunchtime vernacular.”

Bun Mee: A Vietnamese Sandwich Shop Primed To Move Beyond San Francisco | Bun Mee

Bun Mee — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:15:06 GMT

Some consumers are looking for alternatives to the steady diet of burger, pizza and tacos that dominate the U.S. restaurant landscape. Denise Tran, a San Francisco restaurateur, has an answer for them. She operates 5 San Francisco-based Vietnamese sandwich shops, Bun Mee, specializing in bahn mi (more about that later) and is looking to franchise outside of California.

Traveller's Guide: Gourmet California

Bun Mee — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:48:10 GMT

The Golden State's mouth-watering cuisine covers everything from food trucks to fine dining – and the wine isn't bad either, says Andy Lynes.

Why This Lawyer Wanted To Bring Her Vietnamese Heritage To Franchising With Bun Mee | Bun Mee

Bun Mee — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 13:59:39 GMT

In this episode, Zack hops on with Bun Mee's CEO & Founder, Denise Tran. We discuss her founding story, how she went about educating consumers onVietnamese cuisine, where she believes her best opport unities for growth are, where she sees the brand in 3-5 years and how she's creating franchising's first Vietnamese food power house.

Franchising Magazine USA | Bun Mee

Bun Mee — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 13:59:15 GMT

From Corporate to Culinary-How this Former Attorney is Bringing Vietnamese Cuisine into the Mainstream

Like many franchisors, my career path couldn't have started further from the world of franchising. I was an attorney before I founded Bun Mee and at that point in time, I thought law was where I would stay. I was content with being an attorney and quite good at It. It was a storm or several whirlwind circumstances that gave me what I believe was a wake-up call and made me realize I wanted to do something different. My father passed away and I was on the partnership track at a law firm In Seattle. It was a crazy time for me to begin Wiyh. He only had seven months to live and I've always been very close to him, so his dying was truly the catalyst and the life-changing moment that made me reconsider my career path. I wanted to be intentional about what I wanted to do-this intentionally made me realize I no longer wanted to practice law, but do something to reconnect with my father's memory and my culture.

Take-Away With Sam Oches | Bun Mee

Bun Mee — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 13:58:32 GMT

How San Francisco fast casual Bun Mee
overcame 13 years of challenges to finally
franchise

Founder and CEO Denise Tran shares how the complex operating environment in San Francisco has made the brand stronger.

Vietnamese sandwich, bowl, and salad concept Bun Mee emerged in 2011 as part of the first wave of chains looking to capitalize on Chipotle’s success in pairing global flavors with the fast-casual business model.

While some of those concepts, like CAVA, quickly took off and became mainstream successes, Bun Mee has followed more of a slow-and-steady route to its soon-to-be-five locations. Part of the reason for that calculated growth is the brand’s operating environment: All Bun Mee
locations are in the San Francisco Bay Area, including two at the San Francisco International Airport.

Still, the brand has navigated all challenges that came its way and is finally ready to franchise. Founder and CEO Denise Tran joined the latest episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches to talk about how she’s much stronger today after 13 years of hurdles — including the lessons she’s learned running locations in an airport.

In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why:

• Customers may not understand your product — and that’s OK
• Airport locations are tough work, but well worth the effort
• If you can succeed in a tough operating environment, you can succeed almost anywhere
• Having your house in order can help you through crises
• There is no perfect time to grow

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Bun Mee Launches Franchising | Bun Mee

Bun Mee — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 13:58:11 GMT

Bun Mee, a Vietnamese sandwich eatery, has launched franchise development plans for North America.

With four corporate-owned stores in San Francisco and an additional store set to open there in November, Bun Mee is looking for ambitious, adventurous, and creative entrepreneurs to bring it to local communities, said Denise Tran, founder and CEO of Bun Mee.

Inside Founder Denise Tran's Unexpected Culinary Journey

kera@bunmee.co (keravo) — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 21:15:27 GMT

Once upon a time, Bun Mee founder Denise Tran was an attorney eating a porchetta sandwich in New York City. That fateful lunch inspired a flash of genius that led to what would become the first Bun Mee restaurant. It was a complete 180-degree career path change that surprised Denise as much as her family, and we sure are glad!

Bun Mee, Vietnamese Flavors on Market | Bun Mee

Bun Mee — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 20:05:36 GMT

Bun Mee

650 Market St., Financial District
Status: Opening tomorrow

Tomorrow is opening day for the second location of Pac Heights' creative Vietnamese spot Bun Mee, which moves the action to Market Street in the heart of downtown's lunch scene. Like the original location, Bun Mee comes from owner Denise Tran, and specializes in quirky takes on Vietnamese classics like the Sloppy Bun (a fusion of a banh mi and a sloppy Joe), fish and chips with red-curry aioli, and a grilled prawn and mango salad with blood-orange vinaigrette. There are also more traditional takes on banh mi, filled with grilled five-spice chicken, lemongrass pork and paté, and pork meatballs, and a selection of rice bowls topped with meat and pickled veggies. Egg rolls and noodle salads round out the offering.