Melbourne pho shop owner claps back at negative reviews
By Ryan General
The owner of a popular pho restaurant in Melbourne recently went off on reviewers who posted about their negative experiences at his establishment.
Key points:
- Pho A Gogo, a family-run restaurant located in Southbank, Victoria, specializes in Vietnamese noodle soup pho.
- On Google, it boasts an impressive 4.8 out of 5 average score based on over 9100 reviews.
- However, recent one-star reviews have irked the owner, Duke Chu, who has taken to personally responding to and attacking critics.
The details:
- Negative reviews on platforms like Google and TripAdvisor accused the owner of yelling at customers and locking the door of the restaurant. A user claiming to be the owner has been responding to such reviews calling some “stupid” and alleging fabricated stories.
- One reviewer described an incident in which the owner purportedly insisted on seating arrangements and when challenged became aggressive, physically pushing the customer out the door. The purported owner responded by dismissing the user as an “idiot.”
“Idiot, the most idiot & arrogant customer ever came [sic] to our shop. U r old man [sic], but no education, no polite, no honor… [sic] u think u had money u can do whatever u want? Wrong and big wrong, here at Pho A Gogo, we serve our customers with our pride and we serve them the best Pho in town.”
- In an interview with news.com.au, Chu claimed that many negative reviews are fake and written by people who haven’t even visited the restaurant.
“I responded by offering [sic] come forward: if I was wrong, I will fully refund and apologize them [sic], but none come forward. We also know that it doesn’t matter how hard we tried or how good we are: certainly there will be someone they don’t like it then exaggerate the issue with a sole purpose to destroy our livelihood.”
- One common complaint in the reviews has been Pho A Gogo’s unique practice of keeping its doors locked during business hours. After a staff member confirms the purpose of the visit, customers may be subjected to a few minutes of wait time before they are allowed to enter. A social media food blogger in 2022 described his experience as “weird” due to the unusual entry process and long wait time.
- Pho A Gogo has long been praised for its delicious pho and warm atmosphere. A 2022 review in the Herald Sun even declared it “one of the best pho restaurants in Melbourne.” The owner has shown appreciation for those who left positive reviews by actively responding with “thank you” messages.
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