The month-old Banh Shop in Dallas replaced its outdoor signage this past week with a new look that is being greeted warmly by the local Vietnamese-American community.
The new sandwich concept from Yum! Brands Inc.’s emerging brands division ran into criticism for its initial red-star logo and sign within a week of its Sept. 12 opening. A second unit of the banh mi sandwich concept is expected to open by the end of the month at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal D.
The Louisville, Ky.-based parent to KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell quickly apologized for “unintentionally offending” Vietnamese residents and offered to work with the community to create a new logo and sign.
The nimble response from the company drew praise from a protest organizer.
“I am extremely thrilled that Mr. Jonathan Blum, senior vice president of Yum Brands, graciously reached out to me and sincerely apologized for unintentionally offending the Vietnamese community with the red star logo of the Banh Shop,” said Thanh Cung, president of Vietnamese-American Community of Greater Dallas, in an email response to questions.
“They told me they have the greatest respect for the Vietnamese people and culture and this was never their intent,” the protest leader said. “I feel good knowing our concerns and feelings were heard and taken to heart.”
He said the logo was removed from the signage outside the store as well as from the employee uniforms, the menu and other collateral in the store. He complimented the company for “the language of consideration and care in solving the issue quickly.”
Besides shedding the red star, Banh Shop’s new, simple black and white logo also incorporates an accent over the letter “a.”