Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Phong Ho grew up in Naples, Florida before moving to Ave Maria in 2007. Number three in a family of four sons, he graduated from Barron Collier High School and then earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Rollins College in Winter Park in 2003. He started in accounting and homebuilding, eventually joining Pulte Homes in the purchasing department, where he oversaw buildout contracts for residential homes. Encouraged by his father, Phong, at age 25, pursued his career as a restauranteur in Ave Maria, and today owns Tropical Smoothie, OASIS The Kitchen Lounge, and Vicky Bakery.

When I did my homework, I realized how many fans they have. One resident said to me, “I would die for a Vicky at Ave.”

How did you find your home at Ave Maria?

In 2005 I worked for Pulte Homes, at that time the exclusive builder in Ave Maria, a master-planned community in Collier County, when my father suggested that the family move to the community. I knew the community well, not only because of my work at Pulte, but because I was friends with associates at Barron Collier Companies, the master developer of Ave Maria. It all seemed very interesting at the time.

What led you to the restaurant business?

Shortly after we moved to Ave Maria, my father, whose career is investment portfolios in New York City, suggested that I open a Tropical Smoothie Café in the Ave Maria Town Center. I was only 25 years old and had no idea what a smoothie was. However, it has been one of the smartest business decisions that I made. Thirteen years later, in 2022, I opened OASIS The Kitchen Lounge, next door to Tropical Smoothie, realizing that the community needed a sit-down eatery. We serve lunch and dinner, and OASIS has become very popular with the residents. We were named “New and Best Restaurants in Southwest Florida” by the Naples Daily News.

In May 2024, I also opened the first Vicky Bakery on the west coast of Florida. I saw another missing piece in the breakfast segment and chose to fill it.

Why did you choose Vicky Bakery to add to your collection of franchises?

When I began searching for a breakfast franchise, friends and neighbors kept mentioning Vicky. I looked them up, talked to more residents and went to Miami to meet the family owners. Vicky Bakery is a family-owned Cuban pastry shop founded in Miami in 1972. The company’s story began when Antonio and Gelasia Cao fell in love more than 50 years ago while working at Cuba’s most renowned bakery at the time, La Vencedora. The couple married and migrated to Miami as political exiles, and soon had enough money saved up to buy a small bakery in Hialeah.

They make pastries the way they made them in Cuba and have been incredibly successful. To this day, the Vicky recipe hasn’t changed and continues to be extremely popular. Today, there
are more than 30 locations throughout Florida. I look forward to duplicating their strong following on this coast.

When I talked to the family, bringing Vicky to Ave made sense. They wanted to make sure I was committed, and the product is great. When I did my homework, I realized how many fans they have. One resident said to me, “I would die for a Vicky at Ave.”

Food is at the heart of the Ave experience. Having more options is important to the people who live here.

What are your future plans?

I’ve been here since 2008. I have always wanted to help develop and grow this town. In a way, it makes me feel good to provide what I feel are some essential things for this town, whether that’s dinner, breakfast, or a fun treat like Tropical Smoothie, which has been my rock since I started. I still have ambition to help Ave Maria grow and there are bigger and better things that I’m planning. For whoever knows me they know whatever it is it will be something spectacular.

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