Lobster Banh Mi will roll out its menu of tasty Vietnamese sandwiches and snacks at a new Brookhaven shop, beginning in March 2023. According to their website, the new location will be at 3432 Clairmont Rd, at the intersection with Buford Highway.
The original Duluth restaurant has been serving bahn mi and more since 2021, inspiring a loyal following, lines out the door at lunch, and media accolades. “[Owner Shyla] Enoul is a self-described workaholic,” says Wendell Brock, Atlanta Journal-Constitution food and culture writer, in a glowing review of the original locale. “She’s crossing her fingers that Lobster Banh Mi, which offers 12 sandwiches stuffed with everything from curry chicken and meatloaf to French charcuterieand seafood, will be a grand success. She dreams of growing it into a global chain.”
It’s happening. Enoul is taking over the 1300-square-foot storefront previously occupied Sunset Paints in Brookhaven’s Skyland Shopping Center, at the corner of Clairmont Road and Buford Highway.
“It’s being built out now,” Enoul told What Now Atlanta. “Brookhaven is a wonderful neighborhood, close to Emory, Buckhead, and Buford Highway. We’ve had customers in Duluth ask us to open a new restaurant in the area, and I’m proud to be here.”
Lobster Banh Mi will be joining Greek Gyros and Pizza, Sumo Hibachi and Wings, Kathleen’s Catch, and several other businesses at the shopping center, including Sunset Paints, which has moved to a larger space in the same mall.
Enoul says that the Brookhaven location will be more elegant and upscale, with an expanded menu that will include the original offerings, as well as noodle soups and better-quality cuts of meat. “We’ll also have fruit smoothies, desserts like tiramisu and flan, and a full bar.”
The Brookhaven location, which will offer catering, is the next phase in Enoul’s dream of going global. She’s already opened 12 restaurants, many of them under the umbrella of Saigon Deli Incorporated. To prepare for expansion beyond Brookhaven, she’s also incorporated Lobster Bahn Mi, and is actively looking for investors and franchisees.
“It’s Vietnamese food, but everyone loves Lobster Banh Mi,” says Enoul. “We have customers from all over the world. My goal is to open more restaurants locally, nationally, and even globally. You don’t have to be Vietnamese to open a great banh mi restaurant.”
