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new4now ago

Nicole Pham owns 80 percent of the Lemon Grass business.

In 1979, when Pham was 17, she and 6 friends decided to leave their native Vietnam for America. "We decided to leave after the war ended and the Communists took over," she says. "To us, this was an adventure, but we had to do it secretly so we couldn't speak with our parents or family about it. If we got caught, we'd be killed."

Only one week passed from the day the teens decided to escape before they found people who contributed money for their voyage and departed on a boat to Hong Kong. Once in Hong Kong, the teens stayed in refugee camps for one year while awaiting American sponsors.

Pham's sponsor lived in California, and at age 18 she arrived in Hollywood, where she stayed for 3 months. "I found out that we couldn't go to school and had to sew to earn money," she says. "That's not what I considered in finding freedom."

With $225 from the government and advice from a family friend from Vietnam, Pham moved with another friend to the Olympia, Wash., area.

After a short period, she moved in with a sponsor family who later agreed to become her foster family.

During the next 10 years, Pham earned a high school diploma and a business degree from South Puget Sound Community College and Evergreen State College. After receiving her degree she worked at Pabst as a staff accountant. In 1996, she and several peers were laid off.

In 1996, she and several peers were laid off. Pham decided to open her first restaurant, a business she was confident she could run, given her passion and talent for cooking and her background in accounting.

https://fesmag.com/departments/facility-design-project-of-the-month/10719-the-lemon-grass-in-lacey,-wash?start=2

Vindicator ago

Could someone explain the significance of this person and restaurant? I don't get how it fits into the plane situation.

Plan1988 ago

Reported that owners of Island also own the restaurant franchise.

Vindicator ago

Thanks. :-)