A video capturing Reuben Charles’ visit to a restaurant on Mai Thuc Lan Street in Da Nang has been attracting attention across social media platforms.

In the video, Reuben described his surprise when stepping into a space filled with almost complete silence.

Staff members communicated with one another using sign language, while customers mainly ordered through gestures and eye contact.

Both the menu and employees’ uniforms featured the words “Silent Note,” informing diners that the servers were hearing-impaired.

According to the British traveler, he visited the restaurant on April 13 after changing his original dining plans.

“I noticed the staff using sign language to communicate with each other. After learning more about the place, I realized it was something very special, so I decided to document the experience like a small documentary,” he shared.

What impressed Reuben most was the kindness and dedication of the staff.

When he was unsure how to eat bun cha, a female employee patiently guided him through gestures.

“That moment genuinely moved me. Everything felt incredibly sincere,” he said.

According to Reuben, it was his first time experiencing a restaurant model like this.

He believes the restaurant not only creates job opportunities for hearing-impaired people but also encourages customers to become more patient and empathetic.

“At many restaurants, small mistakes can easily frustrate people. But here, everyone seems more understanding toward one another,” he added.

The traveler also praised Vietnamese people and culture, especially in Central Vietnam.

He said Da Nang and the ancient town of Hoi An left him with many beautiful memories and confirmed he would definitely return in the future.

Speaking to VietNamNet, restaurant owner Linh Doan said hiring hearing-impaired employees began unexpectedly in 2019.

At the time, she met a young man with an impressive résumé and bartending skills, but he only applied for a dishwashing position.

“After talking with him, I learned he was deaf and mute. Even so, he worked extremely hard and was loved by everyone,” Doan recalled.

According to her, after some time working there, the young man introduced more people with similar circumstances to apply for jobs.

“At first, they only handled simple tasks. Later, they integrated much better, and other employees also started learning sign language to support them. Today, one of them has become the head bartender at the restaurant,” she said.

The restaurant currently employs more than 30 hearing-impaired staff members at its branches on Mai Thuc Lan Street in Da Nang and in Hoi An, with plans to hire even more in the future.

Doan admitted that operating the restaurant initially came with many challenges due to communication barriers with customers.

To overcome this, the restaurant spent nearly a year adjusting its service process, clearly dividing working areas and using different uniform colors so customers could easily identify staff members who could communicate verbally.

The restaurant also developed its own signals, including sounds and whistles, to notify staff about orders and requests for assistance.

According to Doan, most customers are international tourists and young diners.

The restaurant serves “healthy” dishes such as juices, smoothies and smoothie bowls, alongside Vietnamese specialties including banh xeo, mi Quang, banh cuon and bun cha, all adapted with Asian-European fusion elements to create a fresh culinary experience for visitors.

Ho Giap