Tiny A Vietnamese entrepreneur has purchased the  A corner in Buford, Wyoming, which had its name officially changed to PhinDeli Town Buford on September 3 by its new Vietnamese owner and mayor Pham Dinh Nguyen. Nguyen and his business partner Do Quoc Tuan began selling PhinDeli Coffee in the town on the same day in a bid to promote Vietnamese style coffee in the “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, the pursuit of Happiness and enjoyment of Coffee,” declared Pham Dinh Nguyen, who purchased the smallest town in the US for US$900,000 in April of last year. The 39-year-old Ho Chi Minh City businessman officially changed the name of Buford, Wyoming, where he is now the town’s lone resident, to PhinDeli Town Buford on September 3. The four-hectare (10-acres) town, which has its own Zip code, is located 8,000 feet above sea level on Interstate 80 – the main cross-country route between
“Today, we officially make our Vietnamese Coffee Statement in the US Phin refers to the Vietnamese style of brewing coffee. “Deli” is short for “delicious” (not for delicatessen), and PhinDeli is the brand of his product, Nguyen told Vietweek. “People may like or dislike the new name but either way, it makes them curious. They may drop by to see how this odd Vietnamese guy runs his business here,” he said. Nguyen became Buford’s owner after the town’s previous owner, Don Sammons, long the town's sole resident, decided to auction if off and move to the adjacent state of Sammons and his wife, Terry, moved from "My family is gone. Our purpose for moving here has kind of been completed, and now I want to find out what other adventures I have in store," Sammons, 61, told Reuters news agency. However, when Nguyen invited him earlier this year to take part in the venture, offering to be his co-mayor, Sammons agreed. Buford was founded in 1866 as a fort to protect settlers moving west and workers who were constructing the first transcontinental railroad. It was home to more than 2,000 people before its population gradually decreased in the following decades. Recognized as an official town by the US Postal Service and Nguyen, director of the HCMC-based importer International Distribution Services, said he wants his ownership of a US town to encourage Vietnamese businessmen to invest abroad. His trip to attend the auction was his first to the ‘Can-do’ spirit Nguyen said that PhinDeli’s slogan: “The can-do coffee,” aims to promote the determination of Vietnamese businessmen. He said investing in the town was more than just another real estate deal. “The town has become common property of Vietnamese entrepreneurs in terms of spiritual values. I will not sell it despite how high the profit can be,” he said, adding that buyers from “I want to turn it [the town] into a showroom of Vietnamese products – a starting point for Vietnamese products in the According to the International Coffee Organization, Nguyen hopes PhinDeli Town Buford will boost the name recognition of Vietnamese coffee in the world market. He co-founded PhinDeli coffee with his friend Do Quoc Tuan, who was once the marketing manager for Kraft Food Group Vietnam. PhinDeli aims to promote “American people often drink coffee while on the move. But they are also interested in diversified eating and drinking experiences,” Nguyen said. “However, when they take a break, they will choose our coffee if it is better than ready-made coffee,” he said. He is currently selling coffee at PhinDeli Town Buford, and that it will soon be available on amazon.com and in US supermarket chains. Later, he plans to expand to bring his coffee to more international destinations. Nguyen said many people said he was “crazy” and that his plans to buy the town and sell his coffee were ridiculous. However, Dang Hung Vo, former deputy minister of Natural Resources and Environment, said Nguyen’s purchase of the town is a “positive move.” “It reflects the trend of Vietnamese businessmen expanding their investments abroad, especially in the Vo said it was a wise investment and that $900,000 for 40,000 square meters of land in the “Personally, I’m impressed with [Nguyen] for buying land in a highly developed country. Some rich people can waste a million dollars easily, but he used it effectively and meaningfully,” he said. Pham Thanh Hung, director of the The Ky (Century) Real Estate Services Company, said now may be the right time to invest in US real estate. “Currently, the options are abundant because not many investors are spending money in this sector,” he said. Nguyen, who has worked for large companies like Coca-Cola, Nokia, Mars Food and Kinh Do, believes his investment in Buford constitutes a success in and of itself. Coffee sales will simply be icing on the cake. “Local and international media report whatever I do in this special By Vietweek Staff, Thanh Nien News |
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