Hussain Khan / Hussain Khan

Packed nights at Monster Pho in Oakland mean there’s vegetables to chop, pho broth to monitor and spring rolls to refry.

Amidst the din of noise, owner Tee Tran says, "50% of the customers here is coming to support because of what we're doing."

According to Tran, customers are showing Monster Pho love because the restaurant decided to make food free for kids whose families are on CalFresh. Monster Pho is also giving 25% off for their parents. Tran was inspired by a post he saw by Tony Alba, who runs a restaurant in San Jose, offering a similar service. He messaged Alba, asking if he could mimic him in Oakland — and Alba told him "that's a great idea."

The decision wasn’t spontaneous. It’s been a tough time for Monster Pho, with the tariffs. Tran taps pla

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