Ho Chi Minh City right now feels like a city in motion, with new venues, new standards, and a bar scene that's actively competing for attention and credibility. Amidst this nightlife that is growing at a breakneck pace, the Women at the Forefront of F&B event provided a deeply insightful pause.
Held on Friday, February 27th, at Mam Mam Eatery & Lounge, the gathering brought together over 70 attendees. This was not just a general hospitality talk, but a specialized panel focused deeply on the bar and spirits industry.
The event brought together prominent female figures: Rachel Tann (Academy Chair, Asia’s 50 Best Bars - Southeast Asia & Korea), Julie Tu (Deputy Food & Wine Director, Tatler China; Founder, Intention Guide), Shirmy Chan (Co-Founder & Bar Director, TeRu.Mi the tender bar), and Rochelle Nguyen (Managing Partner/Co-founder, 86 Proof Whiskey Bar & Mámi Cocktails).
The session was moderated by Hao Tran (CEO, Vietcetera).
Through this, the panel illuminated the core elements of what it takes to build venues, lead teams, meet global benchmarks, and stay relevant in the market. This article captures the most useful takeaways, including the mindsets, operational systems, and industry truths that will help Saigon’s bar scene grow up without losing its soul.
Myth-busting the “glamour”: The bar business runs on discipline
In the age of social media, many mistakenly believe that the bar business revolves around attention. However, external “attention” like buzz, awards, or packed rooms is not a shortcut; in reality, it comes with immense pressure and responsibility.
Beverage Director Shirmy Chan shared directly: “Attention creates opportunities, but it doesn't mean a shortcut to success... behind that it's about endurance and discipline.”
The nature of this work is strictly multi-role, ranging from bartender to owner or beverage director. It requires a seamless combination of craft, financial management, leadership, and even emotional support for the team. The eye-catching performances during “peak hours” are truly just the visible layer of the iceberg. What genuinely matters, keeping the machine running smoothly, is the unseen consistency behind the scenes: prep, standards, training, and recovery after mistakes. A growing bar scene needs to stop optimizing only for “viral moments” and start optimizing for repeatability, which means maintaining consistent quality.
The real scoreboard: Revenue is loud, profit is quiet
A harsh truth in the F&B industry: A packed bar can still be a fragile business model. Sustainability is built through structure, not just “vibes”. And true profit lives within the operational systems.
Rochelle Nguyen completely shattered popular misconceptions when she asserted: “People think bar owners are swimming in cash. I swim in spreadsheets.” This reflects the core of the business equation: Revenue does not equal profit. Profit appears only when your financial structure is disciplined, encompassing cost control, financial forecasting, pricing logic, and waste management.
“Mastering your craft” nowadays is not just about mixing a good drink; it involves product fluency, understanding the numbers, customer insight, and team clarity.
This competence becomes your leverage: the more fluent you are, the more confidently you can negotiate, set boundaries, and make decisions that protect your business. A maturing scene means operators will talk more about measurement frameworks (profit margins, staffing models, inventory management) and less about “overnight success” stories.
What’s next for Ho Chi Minh city?
Ho Chi Minh city is ready to level up; but the next chapter isn’t about copying global trends. It is about building a solid pipeline consisting of identity, credibility, and leadership pathways.
Rachel Tann’s perspective pointed out that recognition systems shape growth, but the long game is positioning on the global map without losing identity - with a clear point of view, consistent execution, and a story that matches the glass. The scene's advantage is that Ho Chi Minh city has vibrant energy and density; however, the biggest challenge is converting that into repeatable excellence.
Building on that idea, Julie Tu’s perspective showed that visibility is not merely about publicity; it shapes perception, credibility, and opportunity. And the women standing on stage today are here “because we’re good at what we’re doing”.
Beyond one panel: A clearer path for women to lead
Women at the Forefront of F&B was not merely a conversation about trends, pressures, or business realities. It was also a visible example of women already leading from the frontlines, mapping out a clearer pathway for women to step into leadership.
In an F&B ecosystem that is growing rapidly but still evolving, the importance of this visibility is undeniable. Leadership in the bar world is still developing, especially when it comes to women in ownership, decision-making, and top operational roles. Seeing women speak openly about craft, finance, pressure, and authority helps make that path feel more concrete and reachable than ever before.
The event has directly contributed to shaping where the entire industry can go next. By putting female operators, founders, and industry voices at the center, the panel mapped a clearer future: a future where more women feel encouraged to step into leadership, claim ownership, and make the decisions that shape the industry itself.
The event was brought together by Summer Experiment in collaboration with Sofitel Plaza Saigon, who partnered to create a platform for meaningful industry dialogue and community building.
