Meet Viet Pham | Chef + Restaurateur.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Viet Pham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Viet, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
When i was younger I was taught to push, work hard even if it meant long and grueling hours. Of course that was all do-able when I was younger but as you get older, you become more aware of how you work, how you push which ultimately teaches you how to optimize your time – it goes with the saying “work smarter, not harder.” However, at times working smarter isn’t enough. I learned in my 30’s that in order for me to be a better leader, a better worker that I needed a work life balance. This made me empower my team members to take on responsibility and ownership which allowed me to take time off and be able to focus on me. I would spend a lot of times outdoors be cause it was always my place of refuge. it was a place where i was able to gather my thoughts, reflect on my past, present, and future. The outdoors was also my point of inspiration. Allowing myself time to be away from work and spend time in the outdoor made me a better person and a better leader.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m the founder and proprietor of a fast casual restaurant called Pretty Bird located in Salt Lake City, Utah. We currently have 4 locations, 2 in salt lake city, 1 in park city, and one in Midvale and growing. We opened in february of 2018 and were the first to bring nashville style hot chicken to the state. What makes us unique, delicious, and successful is because of my recipes, our team, and my extensive background in fine dining. I am also the recipient of numerous awards and accolades. I have appeard on dozens for food shows and the only chef to have beaten Bobby Flay twice, once on iron chef america, second on Beat Bobby Flay, and lastly on Bobby Flay’s newest show, Triple Threat beating out his titans. With my background in fine dining I am able to implement all of my extensive learning in that field and applying it to something that is simple and familiar garnering the love and respect from our guests.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of my favorite spots in Salt Lake City are Water Witch – an amazing bar with some of the best craft cocktails around, Bar Nohm, Urban Hill, a japanese spot called Koyote and in Park City, Chop Shop and Bake shop are some of the go tos!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife whom is also my partner deserves all the shoutouts in the world! She is the backbone of Pretty Bird. She handles all or our technology integration, leadership, finances, and even training. She is hard working and relentless and would never ask for any recognition. She is an amazing, intelligent and a great leader in our organization.

Website: https://prettybirdchicken.com

Instagram: @prettybirdchicken @chefvietpham

Linkedin: Viet Pham

Twitter: @chefvietpham

Facebook: Viet Pham

Yelp: Pretty Bird Hot Chicken

Image Credits
Photo credits: Bonjwing Lee