The Good Bowl

What The Good Bowl does

The Good Bowl is an independently owned, full-service Vietnamese and Southeast Asian restaurant operating from a single downtown location at 328 E Front St in Traverse City, Michigan. Founded in 2015 by co-owners Soon Hagerty and Tony Vu, the restaurant serves a mix of local residents and visitors with a menu centered on pho (priced $13–$25), rice and vermicelli bowls ($12–$20), banh mi sandwiches ($16), dim sum small plates ($7–$11), and a specialty beverage program that includes bubble tea, Vietnamese coffee, and Thai iced tea. Service formats include dine-in with table service, online pickup and delivery through a Toast-powered storefront, and a separate catering line operated via goodbowlcatering.com.

The business is mission-driven in its positioning: $1 from every signature bowl sold is donated to one of three rotating nonprofit partners — HelpLink (Spark in the Dark), NAMI Grand Traverse, and Project Feed the Kids — linking everyday purchases to local, national, and global charitable causes. The restaurant operates with a small team (11–50 employees), no disclosed parent company, no institutional investors, and no funding rounds to date. Technology is limited to standard restaurant SaaS (Toast POS and online ordering), organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram), and a marketing/PR/website stack; there is no proprietary software, app, or AI capability.

Revenue is generated entirely through unit-level food and beverage sales across the dine-in, online, and catering channels, with menu items individually priced between $3 (side dishes) and $25 (premium pho) on a pay-as-you-go basis. The customer base is horizontal — general public diners segmented geographically around Traverse City — with no named enterprise accounts and a horizontally segmented marketing approach. There are no patents, regulatory actions, M&A activity, or structural changes disclosed; ownership remains with the two founders.

Name

The Good Bowl

Legal name

The Good Bowl

Website

https://goodbowleatery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Good Bowl is an independently owned, full-service Vietnamese and Southeast Asian restaurant in Traverse City, Michigan, founded in 2015 by Soon Hagerty and Tony Vu. It serves local residents and visitors with dine-in, online ordering, and catering, anchored by a mission-driven $1-per-bowl charity donation model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vietnamese Restaurant Services

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)

Keywords

• Vietnamese restaurant
• Southeast Asian cuisine
• Pho and noodles
• Dim sum dining
• Restaurant catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Traverse City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Full-service restaurant offering Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cuisine including pho, rice bowls, vermicelli bowls, banh mi sandwiches, dim sum, and specialty beverages. Revenue generated from food and beverage sales with table service.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Good Bowl operates a full-service restaurant in Traverse City, Michigan serving Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cuisine including traditional pho, rice bowls, vermicelli bowls, banh mi sandwiches, dim sum, spring rolls, and specialty beverages such as bubble tea, Vietnamese coffee, and Thai iced tea. The restaurant also offers a curated wine list, specialty cocktails, daily and happy hour menus, and Dim Sum dining days, complemented by an in-house charitable giving program that donates $1 per signature bowl to local nonprofit partners.

Product overview

The Good Bowl is a mission-driven, full-service Vietnamese and Southeast Asian restaurant offering a diverse menu centered around iconic Vietnamese dishes, specialty beverages, and dim sum. The core offering includes traditional pho varieties (Pho Saigon, Pho Ga, Pho Hanoi, Pho Chay), banh mi sandwiches, vermicelli bowls, and rice dishes. The restaurant also features a beverage program with bubble tea, Vietnamese coffee, and Thai iced tea. Specialty offerings include dim sum service days and a charitable giving program donating $1 per bowl to selected charities. The dining experience emphasizes warm hospitality, a curated wine list, and options for dietary restrictions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Donates $1 to charity for every signature bowl sold

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HelpLink (Spark in the Dark)coreOthersMichigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that removes everyday barriers to employment by providing fast, direct assistance for urgent needs. Built from the peer-to-peer support network Spark in the Dark, HelpLink has helped connect over 100,000 needs since 2017. Through a secure, web-based platform, individuals can request help for essentials like car repairs, utility shutoffs, or work-related items.
• NAMI Grand TraversecoreOthersLocal affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness that provides hope, support, education, and advocacy for individuals living with mental health conditions and those who care for them. NAMI Grand Traverse works to increase understanding of mental illness, reduce stigma, and promote recovery through community education, peer support, and advocacy.
• Project Feed the KidscoreOthersCommunity-based nonprofit founded in 2020 to address childhood food insecurity, particularly during weekends when school meal programs are unavailable. What began with packing 81 meals during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into an effort that now provides more than 3,000 meals each weekend. Meals cost $2.50 to produce and are distributed through 24/7 community coolers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Lee's Sandwiches: Vietnamese-American restaurant chain built around banh mi sandwiches, pho, and Vietnamese coffee. Directly comparable to The Good Bowl's Vietnamese cuisine focus and bowl/banh mi offerings, with similar menu anchors (pho, banh mi) and Vietnamese coffee as a signature beverage.
• Pho 75: Vietnamese noodle restaurant chain specializing in pho and rice plates. Directly comparable on core product (pho as the centerpiece) and Vietnamese culinary authenticity, with a similar value-oriented, menu-focused operating model.
• Bamboo Asia: Vietnamese-inspired bowl concept offering pho, banh mi, and rice/vermicelli bowls. Highly comparable to The Good Bowl's signature bowl format and $1-per-bowl-style positioning, operating in a similar fast-casual-to-full-service bridge.

Broad incumbents

• P.F. Chang's: National pan-Asian full-service restaurant chain. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering Asian cuisine with full table service, curated beverages, and a wider menu spanning Vietnamese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian influences.
• Pei Wei Asian Kitchen: Pan-Asian fast-casual chain with a menu that includes pho, banh mi, and rice bowls. Comparable to The Good Bowl's Vietnamese and Southeast Asian menu anchors, though operating in a faster, more standardized format.
• Noodles & Company: National fast-casual chain offering globally-inspired noodle and bowl dishes, including a Vietnamese pho option. Comparable on the bowl-and-noodle format and casual-dining customer overlap.
• Panda Express: Largest American Chinese and Asian QSR chain. Comparable as a high-volume Asian food operator competing for the same mainstream customer occasions, with significant scale advantages on cost and marketing.

Emerging players

• CAVA: Mediterranean-inspired bowl and fast-casual concept. Comparable as a customization-driven, bowl-led restaurant emphasizing dietary restrictions and modern hospitality, even though cuisine category differs.
• Wow Bao: Asian fast-casual concept centered on bao buns, dumplings, and rice bowls with digital ordering. Comparable on the dim sum/bao bun offerings and on operating a digitally enabled, multi-format Asian menu.
• True Food Kitchen: Health-forward full-service restaurant with a globally inspired menu. Comparable as a full-service operator emphasizing dietary accommodations (vegan, gluten-free), curated beverage programs, and a refined dining experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/goodbowleatery
• Instagraminstagram.com/goodbowleatery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-good-bowl-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Good Bowl