In the News
Shoutout DFW
“Meet Tony Nguyen | CEO of Kemeno Group”
Since starting Kemeno Group and with the help of my good friend Danny Bui, I have selected and opened 9 franchises and three of those are 7 Leaves Cafe. I selected 7 Leaves Cafe and the other franchises because of their brand, success rate, and mostly because I liked the people behind it and what their culture of care philosophy. It’s important to pick brands (and people) that you can believe in and who believes in you for you to be successful. […]
The Dallas Morning News
“How a new tea shop at Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie is helping bridge generations”
Kemeno Group, which was launched in 2016 by Nguyen and co-founder and friend Danny Bui, both first-generation Vietnamese-Americans, opened 7 Leaves Cafe right in front of Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie in late May 2022. It’s their ninth franchise opening in D-FW and the first drive-through location for the tea and coffee shop.
Since 7 Leaves opened at Asia Times Square, Nguyen has seen many elderly and multigenerational Vietnamese-American customers use the drive-through. Additionally, most of the staff at 7 Leaves in Grand Prairie are bilingual and can communicate in Vietnamese for older customers. […]
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“A Haltom City grocer’s kid opens the ‘Asian Starbucks,’ with Vietnamese coffees, teas”
The “Asian Starbucks” has come to Spur 303. California-based 7 Leaves Cafe, an Orange County favorite known for handcrafted, house-steeped iced and milk teas and crave-able Vietnamese iced coffees, is opening a location and drive-thru this weekend at 2609 W. Pioneer Parkway in front of the Asia Times Square shops.
There’s also a taste of Haltom City in 7 Leaves. Regional franchisee Tony Nguyen grew up sweeping aisles and stocking shelves in Vietnam Plaza, the first large Asian grocery in Tarrant County when it was founded in 1987 by his father, Frank Nguyen.
“The grocery store was my babysitter,” Tony Nguyen said this week, celebrating the region’s third 7 Leaves Cafe to go with locations in Carrollton and Frisco. […]
Crave DFW
“First 7 Leaves Cafe drive-thru opens in North Texas”
Two first generation Vietnamese-Americans proudly open the first 7 Leaves Cafe drive-thru location in Grand Prairie, right in front of Asia Times Square.
Tony Nguyen and Danny Bui both grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and are thrilled about this first drive-thru location in DFW, and that it will be the opening of their third 7 Leaves Cafe and ninth franchise concept under the Kemeno Group. […]
Culture Map Dallas
“The openings keep on coming in this roundup of Dallas restaurant news”
7 Leaves Cafe is a coffee and tea shop opening in Grand Prairie at 2609 W. Pioneer Pkwy. #100 on May 21. Founded in California by seven Vietnamese-Americans, 7 Leaves serves coffee, tea, and boba teas made from raw ingredients such as pandan leaves, mung bean, taro root, and passion fruit producing flavors reminiscent of Vietnamese and Asian desserts. The menu includes 17 hot and cold coffees and teas like Green Thai Tea, a sweet creamy milk tea with jasmine tea; Mint Sereno with mint, cream, and brown sugar; Vietnamese Coffee; and Japanese Matcha Soy Tea. According to a release, the location is from Tony Nguyen and Danny Bui, who have locations in Frisco and Carrollton, but this is their first with a drive-thru. They're opening more locations in 2022 including one at 519 North Jupiter Rd. in Garland. […]
Culture Map Dallas
“These are the 8 best food and drink events in Dallas this week”
7 Leaves Cafe - Grand Prairie Grand Opening
New location of coffee and tea shop chain opens near Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie with a host of festivities. There'll be free samples, games including trivia and coffee bean count, plus gift bags for the first seven people in line (it is 7 Leaves Cafe, after all), and raffle tickets for the first 100 people in line for prizes including Airpods and airline vouchers. 10 am-3 pm. […]
Dallas Observer
“The Best Things We Ate This Year”
Alyssa High recommends 85°C Bakery Cafe in Carrollton. “I, myself, am a big fan of bakery and brunch foods, so you can’t go wrong with the blend of Taiwanese, Japanese, Danish and European baked goods combined with boba from the 7 Leaves Cafe next door.
It's the perfect Saturday morning brunch.” […]
NBC DFW
“North Texas Restaurant Owner Donates Meals to Healthcare Workers, First Responders”
North Texas healthcare workers have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly a year, and for a DFW restaurant owner, the importance of giving back has never been greater.
“There is really nothing more satisfying,” said Tony Nguyen. “We need to give, we need to help, we need to make people smile.”
In the early days of the pandemic, Nguyen donated countless meals to health care and first responders but as the pandemic stretched he said efforts across the region have tailed off. In recent days, he’s restarted an initiative to give back – donating dozens of free meals to those on the frontlines in North Texas. […]
Eater Dallas
“The Halal Guys Will Open a Fifth DFW Outpost”
Less than two years after opening its first DFW outpost, NYC-based chain The Halal Guys is set to open its fifth location in the metroplex on March 3.
The new spot at 1805 N. Collins Street in Arlington is from the hands of the same franchisee group that first brought The Halal Guys to the area with a restaurant on Lemmon Ave. When that location opened in the summer of 2016, Eater reported that diner waited for two hours to grab the white-sauce-topped chicken and lamb dishes.
Apparently enthusiasm hasn’t stopped there, franchisee partners Danny Bui, Son Phung, and Tony Toan Nguyen added locations in Richardson and Lower Greenville in quick succession before traveling west to Arlington for this newest outpost. A fourth location operated by a separate franchisee opened in 2017 in Plano, and Eater previously reported that The Halal Guys signed on with a local franchisee group to bring more than 10 locations to the metroplex. […]
CityLoveList
“What started as a hot dog cart in The Big Apple, has since become the most popular spot for American Halal food”
The Halal Guys - on Lemmon Ave - is a spot I'd heard so much about, but hadn't visited yet. What started as a hot dog cart in The Big Apple, has since become the most popular spot for American Halal food. The Halal Guys in NYC are famous for their chicken and gyro over rice, and that's exactly what they're now serving up on Greenville Ave.
Although I love NYC, I love Dallas more and the Halal Guys being right here in Texas saves me from dealing with the horrific Laguardia airport. DFW > LGA. Hey this is my DALLAS Love List, I can have an opinion on airport quality too, right? Per the usual, I digress.