Interesting stuff ... I'll just print the whole press release.
Pho Ba Luu to Open This Summer in Butchertown
Fast casual Vietnamese restaurant will bring authentic food from the streets of Saigon to town
A new fast casual Vietnamese restaurant is coming to Louisville. Pho Ba Luu will open in the soon-to-be-renovated Butcherblock Properties, located at 1009-1019 East Main Street, sometime this summer. The nine-building complex that anchors the crossing where Wenzel, East Main, and East Washington Streets all intersect in Butchertown is the perfect space for the 2,200 sq. ft. modern eatery.
"As I learned more and more about their concept, I became more and more certain that Pho Ba Luu was the right fit as the anchor for this development," said developer Andy Blieden. "And now, after seeing the design that they have put forward, and now tasted the food for myself, I can't imagine anything else in the space."
Blieden, along with Pho Ba Luu partners, is transforming the cinderblock building that features 13-ft. bays, and once housed a service station, into a 75-seat dining destination located at 1019 East Main Street. An outdoor patio will provide an al fresco experience with an additional 40 seats.
The menu will include Vietnamese staples like chicken or beef pho and several varieties of banh mi, plus imperial rolls, spring rolls, vermicelli bowls with the choice of a protein, and a few other entree options like chicken curry with coconut milk rice bowls and shaken beef rice bowls. All of the dishes, including entrees, fresh bread, and desserts, will be made in house. Beer, both draft and bottles, and wine will also be offered.
The concept has been a dream for several of the partners for more than a year now. It has just been within the last 6 months that Mimi Ha and Jessica Mach have been able to bring their culinary dream to reality as the perfect location became available and the perfect developer was added to the team.
"I've been blessed to be part of August Moon for over 25 years," says Ha, Managing Partner of August Moon and Partner Consultant of Pho Ba Luu. "It's so exiting to now collaborate with Jessica on the food of my childhood with our new venture together. We have had so much fun the past several months fully developing the Pho Ba Luu concept."
Mimi will continue in her role at August Moon moving forward, and will work with Jessica simultaneously as they get the new concept off the ground.
"I'm honored to have the opportunity to work with and learn from someone so successful in the restaurant business," says Mach, Managing Partner of Pho Ba Luu. "Mimi and I, from the very first moment we met, shared the same vision of creating a restaurant serving freshly made authentic Vietnamese food that you might find cooking in the typical Vietnamese home or on the streets of Saigon."
Pho Ba Luu partners, along with Blieden, orchestrated the overall design of the space relying on the talents of Chris Burgin, lighting and scenic director at Axxis Inc.; Scott Rudd of Chef Suppy; and, architect Ted Payne of St. Mathews.
"We let the menu lead the design of the open kitchen with the intention of maximizing efficiency and speed of service," said Mach. "Likewise, we let the building, and what we were calling the 'Butchertown aesthetic,' guide our design choices in the overall interior space and patio. There will be subtle hints of an Asian aesthetic in the design, but any overt Asian theming of the restaurant will be experienced on the plate, or better yet, in the bowl."
Pho Ba Luu will be open 7 days a week from 11am to 10pm. Updates and grand opening information will be released as they become available. For more information, visit www.phobaluu.com
