VietNamNet Bridge - Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC and Pizza Hut fast-food chains, last week opened its first Vietnamese sandwich shop, the Banh shop, in Dallas, Texas in the US.

The plan to open the Vietnamese-style bread shop was disclosed by the firm’s spokesperson in Business Week in early April. Sandwiches cost $5.95 to $6.95. Later this month, Yum will open another store at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

In 2011, the New York Times wrote: "This type of sandwich is very popular in Vietnam. Its elements are very easily modified and the prices are not expensive anymore."

Andrea Nguyen, the author of “The Banh Mi Handbook”, told the Huffington Post: "It’s great that a company like Yum sees potential in Vietnamese sandwiches. Vietnamese cuisine in America is not as old as Chinese and Japanese, but it is a trend”.

Nguyen said Vietnamese sandwiches will attract customers because, firstly, they can easily be changed according to each person's taste. Secondly, it has vegetables, which are good for health.

Yum! expects that the Banh Shop will be as successful as its 52-year-old Mexican food chain Taco Bell.

The fast food market in the United States is in a difficult time as consumers have tightened spending. Stores are trying to find new ideas to become different.

PV