According to owner Phil Silva, Pho Colonial Authentic Vietnamese Diner on Frankford closed yesterday. “We just couldn’t get the traffic in there,” Silva said. “I don’t know if it was us or the location. The place is not very visible from Frankford.” Silva has operated in that space for over five years which included the last days of Bene Bene.
Silva is locked in a courtroom battle with his former partner Khanh Dao, the veteran restaurateur who was involved with Draelion, The Drae Lounge, Steel, and Voltaire. Late last year, Dao was removed from the day-to-day operations because the restaurant was running high (63%) food costs and not making any money. Dao filed a restraining order to keep Silva, the majority owner, from removing her as one of the members of the partnership. The judge denied her request.
I asked Silva about Dao’s whereabouts. “We had a shareholders meeting on Tuesday and she was there,” Silva said. “I have no idea what she is doing. Our lawsuits, we are basically suing one another, is scheduled for August.” Meanwhile, the downtown location of Pho Colonial is open. The chef from North Dallas will run the kitchen.
