02/06/2026
Sunday 31st May 2026 was our final day of trading.
We've sat down several times to write this post, and honestly, we still don't know if there are enough words to properly thank everyone.
When we announced that we would be closing, we expected the last week to be busy. What we didn't expect was the incredible outpouring of love that followed. The past week was unlike anything we have ever experienced. We have never been that busy. There were long waits, full tables, and food constantly being prepared. We were running from one task to another all day, yet somehow, in the middle of all the chaos, what stood out most wasn't how busy we were—it was how kind everyone was.
Many of you waited far longer than anyone should have had to wait. Some arrived with family and found there wasn't a table available. Some took their food away instead of dining in as planned. Others came back multiple times during our final week because one goodbye simply didn't feel like enough. Through it all, we were met with patience, understanding and kindness. For that, we are incredibly grateful.
We also want to apologise for any mistakes. If we got an order wrong, forgot something, kept you waiting too long, or didn't get the chance to chat as much as we normally would, we're truly sorry. We were doing our best to keep up, but the truth is we had never experienced crowds like that before.
The last week was physically exhausting. Every day started early and ended late. We spent our days serving customers and our nights preparing for the next day. Yet somehow, nobody seemed to feel tired. Every morning we walked through those doors feeling lucky—lucky to have customers who became friends, lucky to have watched families grow over the years, and lucky to have been part of your celebrations, traditions and everyday lives.
Over the past few days, so many things happened that we know we will carry with us forever. Customers brought their children in one last time because they wanted us to see how much they had grown. Some drove hours just to visit before we closed. Some came back again and again throughout the week to spend a little more time with us. One customer even took a day off work just to sit quietly in the shop and watch us doing what we've always done. It felt like everyone was trying to give us a proper goodbye, and that meant more to us than we can ever put into words.
There were flowers, cards, gifts, hugs, stories and tears. So many tears. Some of you cried with us, and some of you cried for us. We were constantly asked, "Are you okay?" The honest answer is that we weren't. Not because we regretted our decision, but because we never realised just how much this little shop meant to people until we had to say goodbye to it.
Growing up away from family, we've always hated goodbyes. We thought we understood what it felt like to miss people. But this goodbye was different. It wasn't just the end of Tre Viet Kitchen. It was saying goodbye to faces we had seen every week for years, to customers whose orders we knew by heart, to children we watched grow up, and to conversations that became part of our daily lives. It was saying goodbye to a community that welcomed us from the very beginning and supported us every step of the way.
When we first opened our doors during COVID, we had no idea whether our little business would survive. We simply hoped people would give us a chance. What happened over the next five years was more than we could ever have imagined. You didn't just support a business—you became part of our lives. And over the past week, you reminded us of that in the most beautiful way possible.
We would also like to thank the people who stood beside us throughout this journey. To our staff, thank you for your hard work, loyalty and dedication. Many of you started as employees but became family. Watching you grow, start careers and move on to new chapters has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey. A special thank you to the Jones family, whose support has meant more than we can put into words. To our suppliers, delivery drivers, business partners, neighbouring businesses and the wider community, thank you for helping us get through five wonderful years. Running a small business is never a one-person job, and we have been incredibly fortunate to have so many wonderful people around us.
Looking back now, we realise that what we built was never just a restaurant. It was a place where friendships were formed, where families gathered, where birthdays were celebrated, where children grew up before our eyes, and where people felt comfortable enough to walk through the door and feel at home.
For five years, you allowed us to be part of your lives. And in return, you became part of ours. That's why saying goodbye has been so much harder than we ever expected.
Last week was heartbreaking, but it was also one of the most beautiful weeks of our lives. Because when people ask what success looks like, we don't think it's about how many meals were served or how much money was made. We think it's a shop full of people who didn't want to say goodbye. People waiting patiently for hours, not because of the food, but because they wanted one last chance to share a hug, a story, a thank you, or a goodbye.
If that's what success looks like, then we were far more successful than we ever realised.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for every meal shared, every conversation, every recommendation to a friend, every act of kindness and every bit of support you have given us over the years.
Thank you for giving us five unforgettable years, and thank you for coming back one last time so that we had the chance to say goodbye properly.
We will miss you more than you know.
Anita, Bob, Natalia and Henry.
