Our team got to sit down and chat with the owner of TiNi Vietnamese Restaurant, Thanh (Tommy) Nguyen. Read below for our one-on-one interview and to learn more about this locally owned business in our community!

Question 1: How did you get your idea or concept for the business?

Being Vietnamese and living in Calgary for many years, I’ve gone to many Vietnamese restaurants. Although Vietnamese food is popular and very common, I could not find a Vietnamese restaurant that had a real pleasant dining experience where people could enjoy good food. I know many people have shared the same thought, so that’s why I invested in creating TiNi to try and introduce our very traditional good food in an upscale environment but at an affordable price.

Question 2: Where does the name TiNi come from?

We have two kids, one older boy and a little girl. My boy’s nickname in Vietnamese is “Ti To” which means “little silly boy” and my daughter’s nickname is “Ti Ni” which means “little lovely girl”. We want to present our customers little lovely food and not little silly food, so we decided to name our restaurant Ti Ni.

Question 3: Why did you choose Seton?

When considering a new business; besides a plan, concept, idea, etc.. everybody knows that location is most important. After years living in Auburn Bay, we saw the growing community of Seton and what is to come in the future. The South Health Campus, Seton Professional Centre, the biggest YMCA, a new awesome Cineplex theatre, the connection to Deerfoot Trail and Stoney Trail were all benefits making Seton become the heart of the South which is why we chose this location. Unfortunately, we are experiencing critical times with Covid-19 but we hope this will soon be over as we still believe in the future of Seton.

Question 4: What measures or actions have you taken for a safe dining experience during Covid?

We request all customers sanitize their hands when they enter the restaurant and we have blocked off tables to ensure there is safe distance between our customers when dining in. All of our staff wear masks and gloves and sanitize the tables when guests leave.

TiNi is now open for dine-in services, with take-out and delivery options available. To view their menu, click here.