With locations in both Coquitlam and Surrey, BC, I Am Pho has built a loyal following by serving healthy, made-with-care Vietnamese dishes that go beyond the bowl. From rich, slow-simmered pho to vibrant fresh plates, every dish is crafted with quality ingredients and served with genuine warmth. More than a restaurant, I Am Pho is a gathering place for the community, a spot where good food and good people come together.

I Am Pho has two thriving locations and a genuine product worth talking about, but translating that into a compelling social media presence comes with significant constraints. There is no budget for new photography or behind-the-scenes content, leaving the creative strategy dependent on a limited existing image library. The brand has no defined story or identity beyond the food itself, making it difficult to build the kind of emotional connection that drives loyalty and discovery online.

Without promotions or discounts, there is no obvious hook to attract first-time customers or incentivize trial. Influencer partnerships and user-generated content are off the table as well, removing two of the most effective tools for organic reach in the food and beverage space. And with low organic discovery across platforms, the restaurant is largely invisible to anyone who has not already walked through the door.

The challenge is to build a meaningful, engaging social media presence that can grow awareness, attract new customers, and tell a story worth following, all within a set of tight creative and strategic boundaries.

With no new photography on the table, I leaned into what existed and transformed it. I developed visual-heavy, product-focused creatives that highlighted I Am Pho’s hero dishes using tighter crops, cleaner framing, and closer compositions. Food performs best when texture and detail are front and centre, and strong visuals reduce the need for long captions to do the heavy lifting. By repurposing existing assets with intention, I was able to maximize efficiency while significantly improving the perceived quality and scroll-stopping impact of every post.

To expand reach beyond the existing audience, I introduced trend-led Reels into the content mix. I built a Reel around a trending “pho pho” audio that was gaining traction on Instagram at the time, a natural fit given the brand name. Trending audio improves algorithm distribution, increases watch time, and opens the door to younger audiences who may never have discovered the restaurant through traditional means.

Beyond social media, I extended the strategy to Google My Business, a channel that directly impacts how the restaurant shows up when people are actively searching for places to eat. I built out a complete menu with photos, uploaded images of the restaurant and dishes, and actively responded to reviews. This not only improved the overall digital presence but helped drive organic discovery from people already looking for Vietnamese food in Coquitlam and Surrey.