Our Story

One of the largest Asian market retailers & distributors in the Pacific Northwest.

Our History

"From humble beginnings to humble service."

Viet Wah's founder and CEO, Duc Tran, came to Seattle in 1976 as a refugee fleeing the Vietnam War. He arrived in America with only the clothes on his back and $10 in his pocket. After learning English, he began work as a translator helping other newly-arrived refugees find apartments, hunt for jobs, and settle into their new lives. Duc soon realized a huge difficulty facing this new community was the lack of access to the food they'd eaten back in Vietnam.

In 1981, he opened the very first Viet-Wah in hopes of bringing the tastes and flavors of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine to the Asian American community of Seattle. Tran's tiny grocery store became a beloved and well-known part of the International District.

Eventually, he was able to expand Viet Wah into a larger location on South Jackson street, and began carrying ingredients from Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, the Phillipines and a host of other Asian countries. In 2006, Viet-Wah opened another location in Renton, Washington.

about us

“More than just a grocery store”

Viet-Wah opened in 1981 as a tiny mom and pop grocery store in Seattle's Chinatown-International district.

Over the years, that one tiny store has grown into the

Viet-Wah Group, which now employs over 60 people at two retail locations.

Viet-Wah has become a recognized major provider of imported grocery and food items from Asia. We pride ourselves on bringing hard-to-find quality Asian foods to many diverse communities in the Pacific Northwest.

Our Mission

Viet-Wah strives to deliver exceptional Asian food and related products by building a company that values our customers, employees, partners, and local communities.

Community Values

“We define success as giving back.”

We have a strong commitment to our community and its future. Viet-Wah Group organizes and sponsors efforts to support children’s education, health and human services, at home and abroad. Below are some of Viet-Wah Group’s recognized work in Seattle, Renton, and Washington state’s local communities.