Bea’s Wok ’N Roll celebrates 30 years of fresh food and customer service

DeKALB – When Bea Pham decided to start a restaurant 30 years ago, she made a promise to herself: “I’ll try my best for 10 years and see how it goes.”

Decades later, Bea’s Wok ’N Roll is a DeKalb County favorite. She credits her customers and God for her success.

“When I came to DeKalb, I had nothing,” she said. “My customers are my family, they gave me my business, a home. They gave me everything.”

On June 1, Pham celebrated 30 years in business.

Bea’s Wok ’N Roll, located at 1402 Sycamore Road in DeKalb, serves Vietnamese cuisine. But it wasn’t always that way. Pham started by serving hot dogs in Sycamore across the street from the old K-Mart, now Hy-Vee.

“I came to the US when I was 12-and-a-half and worked at a hot dog stand, where I learned a lot,” Pham said. “Thirty years ago, I was a nurse living in Aurora. I didn’t even know where DeKalb was. It took three hours [from Aurora to DeKalb] because we got lost and didn’t know where it was. After two weeks thinking and thinking about [starting a restaurant], I decided to do it.”

Pham said her customers loved the hot dogs, but they also frequently ordered samples of Vietnamese food she had for sale.

“Everyone loved the samples of Vietnamese food and told me to drop the hot dogs,” she said. “Many other places were selling hot dogs, too. So after seven years, I decided to stop selling hot dogs and become a fully Vietnamese restaurant.”

Jim Barker of Sycamore stopped by Bea’s the second day her hot dog restaurant was open.

“I remember fried rice was a separate dish you could order, and it was delicious,” Barker said. “Soon, she started selling more and more Vietnamese food and less hot dogs. The hot dogs were great, but I love the uniqueness of her Vietnamese food. I like trying something different every time, but my favorite is the chicken curry.”

Jeremy Burke of Elgin has been a patron of Bea’s Wok ‘N Roll since he was a student at Northern Illinois University in 1999.

“The first time, I came with a buddy in college,” he said. “The next time I came, maybe a week or two later, Bea remembered my name and my order. Now, I stop at Bea’s whenever I’m back in town and make sure to bring spring rolls back home for my wife.”

Sisters Anne Williams and Sue Lovell, both of DeKalb, have been regulars at Bea’s for about 20 years.

Lovell said what she loves about the restaurant is “the quality, quantity and freshness of the food.”

“Everything is fresh and made to order,” Lovell said. “The vegetables are chopped when you order it and the food is always made fresh.”

“What I love about Bea’s is that she takes care of her customers,” Williams said. “If you’re not feeling well, she’ll make a soup with ginger and garlic. She has quite a loyal fan base. Her regulars love her food and love seeing her.”

Kim Fillmore of DeKalb stopped by the restaurant on Bea’s 30th anniversary to place a carryout order and give Bea a bouquet of flowers. Williams and Lovell gave Bea a card.

“What I love about Bea’s is that everything she has on her menu is delicious, everything is fresh,” Fillmore said. “But what makes the restaurant special is Bea. She makes everyone feel special. She goes around and talks to everyone. She always asks after my family if they’re not here with me, and she tells me to say ‘hi’ to them. She’s what makes the restaurant our favorite place to eat out.”

Pham thanks her customers for their years of support.

“When we celebrated my 30th anniversary on Monday, I cried because of all of their love and support,” she said. “I want them to know I thank them, I love them. I want to tell them ‘thank you.’ I appreciate having the opportunity to serve you for 30 years.”

To celebrate the restaurant’s anniversary, Bea’s Wok ’N Roll will be closed June 8 through June 22 and will reopen on June 23. Orders for pickup and outdoor dining can be placed by calling 815-756-1660.