Singer Kehlani praised a Toronto restaurant on social media. Its co-owner says business has been booming ever since

Kehlani's TikTok video praising Toronto restaurant. (@kehlani/TikTok)

A Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Toronto says that it is experiencing a boost in customers, after R&B star Kehlani gave them a shoutout to her massive following.

Tan Trinh, the co-owner of Pho Ngoc Yen, said they’ve seen a lot of younger patrons come into their newest location over the last few days since the American R&B superstar took to her 6.9 million TikTok followers to heap praise on the establishment, which is located on Adelaide Street near Blue Jays Way.

“We did not realize that she made a video,” he told CTV News. “We were very, very thankful because this news, it reached a lot of the young audience and my wife’s phone was ringing off the hook. So we were very excited about the whole deal.”

In the video, Kehlani shows off a table of food. “My back is big, my heart is full,” she said, touching her heart. “No notes.”

The singer was in town on Saturday night to host an event at Cabana pool bar. Trinh said the restaurant got a call from her team for a reservation for four, which they declined since they only take reservations for parties of more than five. Since the restaurant has capacity for 200 people, they invited them to come regardless.

“Then they came in and our staff recognized her and we were very excited to have such a celebrity come by,” Trinh said. “After talking to my team, we said, ‘hey, listen, we have to be respectful, keep things professional,’ so we left them alone.”

Since the video was posted on Monday, Trinh’s seen a boost in customers, particularly from a younger demographic. Some even want to sit at the same table where she sat, he said.

“I often ask my customers how did they find out about us because we just opened up this location about a month ago,” he said. “Now with this location, a lot of young adults… come in because of her. She drew a lot of attention to this place.”

Pho Ngoc Yen also has locations in Etobicoke and Mississauga. Trinh said he’s deeply grateful for the attention Kehlani gave to his newest location and hopes his gratitude reaches her.

“I don’t have a chance to thank that young lady, but, we’re very thankful, we were thrilled that she came into the restaurant out of all the restaurants in Toronto,” he said. “Then coming out with a video like that that draws a lot of attention, we’re really thankful.”