Stephen and Juliette met as students at Sheffield Hallam University in 1991. It was 14 years later in Clerkenwell that they opened their first ever Pho restaurant – a small, 30 cover place tucked away on St John Street in Clerkenwell. 

They set Pho up after travelling throughout Vietnam in the early noughties and falling in love with the food there. They wanted to share their passion as widely as they could when they come home, and this led them to set up Pho.

Such was the popularity of their new venture that they were soon opening up a second site in Oxford Circus, and then Westfield, Brighton and Soho in the few years after that.

Now, the Walls return to Sheffield and are opening their thirtieth restaurant back where they met nearly thirty years ago. Pho has expanded up and down the country, from Exeter to Leeds in the fifteen years since they launched. There are plans in place for more steady and careful growth throughout the UK over the next few years.  

Speaking about their decision to open a new restaurant in Sheffield, Stephen said:

"Sheffield’s is like a second home to us, with mates still here long after finishing Uni. Our memories of our time living here are nothing but amazing, one of the best times of our lives and as students the perfect marriage between studying and a pretty full on social life.'

"We might have a few sites but Pho is still very much a small independent business in terms of our approach and Jules and myself are all over every aspect of it.'

"It’s amazing to see how the city is developing and it feels like a cracking time to open in the city centre."

The University wish Stephen and Juliette the very best with their latest expansion in Sheffield. 

If you’re a Hallam graduate and would like to share a story with us please contact Emma at alumni@shu.ac.uk.