Pho Soul Stakes Out Carrollton Spot in Old Denton Road's Vietnamese Food Cluster

A new pho shop is staking its claim on one of North Texas's most concentrated stretches of Vietnamese dining. Pho Soul plans to open at 2235 Old Denton Road, Suite 280, inside the newly built Great Oasis development in Carrollton, according to public filings and confirmed directly by the restaurant's owner.

Owner Nghi Tran confirmed the Carrollton location but declined to share additional details at this time, as reported by WhatNow Dallas. State records filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on August 20 peg the interior remodel at an estimated $150,000 across 2,422 square feet, with permitting work scheduled to run from September through the project's completion target in December 2026.

TDLR paperwork lists Mansfield-based Nguyen Chau Designer & Consulting as the design firm behind the buildout, with property ownership registered under Tanji LLC and Brandon Mark Quimbey named as the assigned accessibility specialist. Under Title 16 of the Texas Administrative Code, owners of privately funded commercial projects like this one must secure an inspection from a Registered Accessibility Specialist within a year of construction wrapping, ensuring the space meets architectural barrier standards before it opens to diners.

A Retail Center Built for Asian Dining

The Great Oasis, where Pho Soul is headed, is a 69,050-square-foot Class A retail center completed in 2024 on more than seven acres near Interstate 35E and the President George Bush Turnpike, according to specifications listed on LoopNet. The development's clear heights of up to 19 feet 6 inches were designed to accommodate exactly the kind of modern retail and food tenants now filling it.

That tenant mix has already leaned heavily toward Asian culinary concepts. Per reporting from CultureMap Dallas, the plaza has landed Korean bakery-cafe Smoking Tiger, Korean donut shop Old Ferry Donut, boba chain Happy Lemon, and Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki spot Chinchikurin — all positioning The Great Oasis as a regional destination just down the road from the H Mart-anchored shopping complex.

Old Denton Road's Vietnamese Roots Run Deep

Pho Soul's arrival would add to a growing cluster of Vietnamese restaurants along the Old Denton Road corridor, an area already known locally for its concentration of pho shops and Vietnamese eateries. The corridor's reputation as a premier Asian culinary hub isn't new: the Dallas Observer noted back in 2022 that Vietnamese establishments like District One anchor the strip alongside Korean and Japanese venues, part of a broader pattern of North Texas strip centers evolving into specialized dining destinations.

That pattern has continued into 2026. Hoodline reported in June that Chinese milk-tea chain Molly Tea picked a Carrollton Town Center storefront less than a mile north of The Great Oasis for its first North Texas location, underscoring the same leasing momentum now drawing Pho Soul to the corridor.

Demand Rooted in Carrollton's Demographics

The demand behind this cluster of openings traces back to who lives nearby. U.S. Census Bureau data show Carrollton's population reached 133,434 residents, with Asian residents accounting for 17.8% of that total — a demographic base that has helped fuel sustained interest in authentic Asian dining options across the inter-ring DFW suburb.

Nguyen Chau Designer & Consulting, the firm behind Pho Soul's remodel, has built a track record designing other North Texas Asian dining projects, including Dôi Dũa in Garland and My Lan Pho & Grill in Justin, according to TDLR filing history. That specialization reflects a broader habit among independent food operators of hiring designers who know how to navigate local building codes and restaurant kitchen layouts.

Carrollton's restaurant growth has been steady in recent years, part of a wider civic push that includes the five bond propositions totaling $235 million that Hoodline reported voters weighed in the city's May municipal election. For now, Pho Soul's menu focus and grand opening timeline beyond the December completion target remain unannounced, with Tran offering no further comment.