45 years of bringing Vietnamese cuisine to the heart of Canada

Three generations, one 45-year journey. Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee.

From a small shop to a formal "trade highway"

Looking at Lucky's current scale, with nine large supermarkets (ranging from 2,300 to nearly 5,000 square meters) spread across key western cities such as Edmonton, Calgary in Alberta, Winnipeg in Manitoba, and Surrey in British Columbia, few would imagine that its starting point in 1981 was just a small family store. After nearly half a century of steady operation under an independent family-owned model, Lucky is now a formidable force in Asian food retail. Behind this comprehensive logistics foundation is Dong Phuong Group, which both sources goods for the entire chain and handles wholesale distribution for numerous other retail partners across Canada.

The first Lucky-Dong Phuong store, opened in 1981. Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee.

The growth of Lucky also reflects the transformation of Vietnamese goods overseas. In earlier decades, when domestic supply sources were still fragmented, obtaining a few tastes of home required a difficult transit through a third country; today, the situation is very different. The strategic linkage of Hai Yen (sourcing goods in Vietnam), Dong Phuong (importing and distributing in Canada) and Lucky (retailing) has created an official "trade highway" that brings agricultural produce and processed food directly from fields at home onto supermarket shelves abroad. This closed-loop supply chain is contributing a significant share to the nearly USD 14 billion in annual export turnover from Vietnam to Canada, according to official data from the Canada Border Services Agency in 2025.

The newest 5,000 sq m supermarket opened in Sunridge. Photo: Courtesy of the interviewee.

At present, the group imports around 500 containers of Vietnamese goods each year, a figure certain to keep rising as Lucky rolls out plans to open 10 more supermarkets by 2030. Notably, Vietnamese goods account for more than 30% of the chain's products, a record-high proportion for an overseas supermarket chain. No longer limited to traditional items such as ST25 rice, fish sauce, coffee, dried fruit preserves and condensed milk, in recent years fresh specialty fruits such as dragon fruit, pink-fleshed green-skinned pomelo, and fresh coconut from Vietnam have repeatedly flown halfway around the world to appear fresh on shelves across western Canada. Not stopping there, Dong Phuong is aggressively diversifying its product range into high-quality consumer industrial goods, household plastic products, cleaning chemicals, ceramics and more from Vietnam.

The vision of the man who laid the first brick

In an interview with the Vietnam Trade Office in Canada, Nguyen Tan Ba, founder of the group, spoke enthusiastically about the immense potential for Vietnamese goods. From the perspective of someone who has spent decades navigating the Canadian market, he assessed that processed seafood and tropical fruit are products in which Vietnam holds an absolute advantage over other countries in the ASEAN region. As for rice, he said, Vietnam's quality and price are fully capable of competing on equal terms with Thai rice.

However, Ba also noted that domestic enterprises should invest more systematically in deep-processed food, canned goods, confectionery, beverages and trend-driven snacks aimed at young consumers. In particular, he said, innovative food segments such as plant-based meat, instant vegetarian food and pre-processed traditional dishes (ready-to-use) are a booming trend, serving not only the overseas Vietnamese community but also other ethnic groups in Canada.

The Trade Office interviews the chairman of Lucky Supermarket. Photo: Trade Office

The "captain" and a legacy built on family bonds

Lucky's achievements today are the fruit of Nguyen Tan Ba's dedication and vision. Arriving in Canada in the early 1980s with nothing, and going through hardship and the bone-deep loneliness of life far from home, he came to understand deeply that food from home is not merely about filling the stomach, but a sacred spiritual thread connecting one back to one's roots. From the very beginning, his business philosophy rose above pure profit figures to embrace responsibility to the community and a vision of elevating the value of Vietnamese products. A statement by a representative of the Trade Office at the anniversary event fully captured that mission: "The group has not stopped at being merely a business, but has become an important culinary bridge, bringing the warmth and flavors of the homeland directly to the Vietnamese community in Canada."

The Trade Office presents gifts to mark the 45th anniversary. Photo: Trade Office.

But this glorious nearly half-century journey could certainly not have taken shape had Nguyen Tan Ba walked it alone. Behind this steadfast "captain" stood an invaluable support system. His devoted wife, a spiritual anchor who accompanied him through the hardest days, together with their six children and other family members, were the ones who, alongside him, laid every brick and shed every drop of sweat to build this enterprise. At the anniversary celebration, the close-knit unity of the older generation and the responsible continuation carried forward by the family's second generation moved everyone in attendance.

The 45th anniversary celebration banquet. Photo: Trade Office.

This "family" spirit is not confined to blood ties; it has spread to become Lucky's corporate culture. Pride is clearly visible in the eyes and smiles of every employee, from managers to shelf stockers, at being part of the Lucky family. Respect and admiration were also shared by the hundreds of partner businesses and longtime associates present in the hall, for the integrity, dedication and vision of Nguyen Tan Ba.

Nguyen Tan Ba's nearly half-century legacy deserves to be cherished and honored, for it was built with sweat, integrity, and a simple yet noble mission: to keep the flame of home-country flavors alive on foreign soil. From those first bricks, the perseverance of one family has not only created a strong retail brand abroad, but has truly become a solid foundation for Vietnamese agricultural produce. The shelves brimming with Vietnamese goods at Lucky today not only provide livelihoods and open up a sustainable outlet for farmers and domestic enterprises to confidently venture into the wider world, but have long since become a shared source of pride for the Vietnamese community in Canada.