VietFive brings authentic Vietnamese coffee and a community-minded space to Chicago

Located in Chicago’s buzzing West Loop neighborhood, VietFive has quickly become a staple in the city’s exploding coffee scene.

Since opening in 2022, VietFive has offered a menu of authentic Vietnamese drinks, made exclusively with beans sourced directly from owner Tuan Huynh’s family farm.

But VietFive is also so much more than a coffee shop.

The purpose-driven community space is intentionally designed to be welcoming to all, from providing accessibility resources to hiring justice-impacted individuals.

“We wanted to create a space where everyone feels like they have a rightful presence,” says Tuan.

Coffee and culture from Vietnam to Chicago

The story of VietFive began in 2019, when Tuan Huynh traveled from Chicago back to his home country of Vietnam. There, he visited the coffee farm that had been in his family for decades.

“I was reintroduced to my homeland in a sense,” says Tuan. “My family introduced me to the coffee we’d been growing for decades, and it changed my whole life.”

Tuan returned to Chicago and opened VietFive. The shop specializes in both classic and creative Vietnamese coffee drinks, with offerings like the classic phin brew (iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk), a pandan latte, or ca phe trung (Vietnamese egg coffee).

All drinks are made with beans harvested from Tuan’s family farm and roasted locally in Chicago. Whole beans and ground coffee are also available for purchase. VietFive uses Robusta coffee, a common species of coffee in the central highlands of Vietnam.

“It’s high in antioxidants, low in acidity, and has a more bold and smooth flavor profile,” says Tuan. “It makes for a very versatile cup of coffee.”

A focus on accessibility and inclusion

From the very beginning, accessibility was embedded in every aspect of VietFive’s physical space.

“We don’t want any barriers to deter them from stepping into the space, especially for folks with seen or unseen disabilities,” he says.

Anna Huynh, Tuan’s wife and VietFive’s co-owner, is an educator focused on accessible and inclusive learning. She has used this expertise to shape VietFive’s rightful presence initiatives and emphasis on access.

The shop offers a variety of resources and accommodations to ensure a comfortable experience for all guests, including:

• Noise-cancelling headphones to provide customers with the option for a more peaceful coffee shop experience.
• Visual communication cues that support customers with navigating the coffee shop and communicating with staff.
• Adaptive menus in Braille, large print, and audio for customers who may be Blind or low-vision.
• Visual touch-point menus for guests who are non-verbal or nonreaders.

VietFive is also intentional about building a diverse and inclusive team. The staff includes individuals with a range of disabilities, along with justice-impacted individuals. As a justice-impacted individual himself, this mission is especially important to Tuan.

“We are really building a community and creating a space that serves our city and provides upward mobility to individuals,” he says.

A part of the Chicago story

VietFive is part of a booming community of Asian-inspired bakeries and coffee shops in Chicago, joining classic establishments like Chiu Quon in Chinatown and buzzy new openings like Del Sur, which blends Filipino and Midwestern flavors.

“The Asian community, not only in Chicago but across the country, has become recognized as creators, innovators, and a staple in the fabric of the American lifestyle,” says Tuan. “The Asian cultures within the diverse diaspora have created a narrative driven by small businesses, artists, and creators.”

Above all, Tuan hopes that VietFive can be a model for accessibility and inclusion that can help educate, inspire, and leave a larger impact on the city’s small business culture.

“I like to say that VietFive is a Chicago story,” says Tuan. “We are born in Vietnam, a country across the ocean, but we are committed to being a part of our city. And we have been embraced by Chicago. We think it’s the greatest city in the world.”

Explore more: Check out our round-up of more Asian and Pacific Islander-owned restaurant in Chicago.