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Posted on Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 5:57 a.m.

No Thai! plans to relocate from South University Avenue to first-floor of student high-rise

By Lizzy Alfs

landmark.jpg

No Thai! signed a lease to relocate to the first-floor of student high-rise Landmark on South Forest.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

The original No Thai! restaurant on South University Avenue near University of Michigan’s campus outgrew its 700-square-foot space years ago.

Co-owner Jeff Cho said customers often complain about long waits and too few seats at the popular restaurant — which has additional Ann Arbor locations in Kerrytown and The Courtyard Shops on Plymouth Road.

To solve the issue, Cho, along with business partners Brian Kim, Victor Kim and Noerung Hang, signed a lease last month to move No Thai! across the street.

The restaurant will relocate from its current location at 1317 S. University Ave. to a 1,600-square-foot space on the first-floor of Landmark — the under-construction student high-rise on the corner of South University and South Forest.

“We’ve outgrown our space on South University,” Cho said. “We’re looking to upgrade our restaurant and we're hoping to make this new restaurant at Landmark a little nicer than what we started with seven years ago.”

With the move, Cho said they plan to hire additional employees and double the restaurant’s seating area. He said construction should begin soon and they are hoping for a seamless transition to the new location this fall.

“We’re hoping that there’s going to be very minimal closing time,” he said. “We don’t see why we can’t stay open at the South University location until we are ready to open the other one.”

He said there are still a couple years left on the No Thai! lease at 1317 S. University Ave., and they are evaluating their options for that space.

Landmark, slated to open this fall, is a 14-story, 600-bed high-rise with room for about five retail spaces on the first floor.

Cho said the influx of students coming to the South University area with the opening of Landmark can only help No Thai!'s business, although he's not expecting a "huge boom."

"I think we’ll still remain busy and we’ll be able to better serve our customers with better seating and a more efficient layout," he said.

No Thai! joins a 7-Eleven convenience store on the first-floor of Landmark — which signed a lease for a 2,500-square-foot space in the building in April.

Colliers International’s Ann Arbor office, the company that brokered the deal with both No Thai! and 7-Eleven, continues to market the remaining retail spaces in the building.

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

Comments

Julie

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 7:55 p.m.

If I remember correctly, they named it "No Thai" as a Seinfeld reference. They have pretty decent lunch food. The Mexican Qdoba reference was right on. I occasionally eat at both, so no complaints...

Alex Swary

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 2:24 p.m.

Chicken Pad Cashew with medium sauce. YUM YUM YUM. I never go to this location though cause there's no where to park. (I love No Thai.)

northside

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 12:04 p.m.

No Thai needs to become Less Sodium - their levels are off the charts.

ejmw

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 11:46 a.m.

For those who seem to be a little confused regarding the company's name and are unable or unwilling to use the power of the internetz in their quest for knowledge: "Ultimately, one partner, Noerung "No" Hang, rose above to become the head chef, and so the restaurant came to be known as "No Thai!"." http://aa.nothai4u.com/about I eat at No Thai! fairly often. I wouldn't call it high quality Thai food, but it is certainly delicious. I'd say No Thai! is to Thai food what Chipotle is to Mexican.

Hmm

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 7:04 p.m.

Thanks I do like noodles so I might give one of those a try.

Bababooey

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 4:45 p.m.

#13 Potato Curry...mmmmmmmm!

ejmw

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 3:51 p.m.

@Hmm - it depends what you like. They have some noodle dishes, and also a variety of stir fry dishes that come with rice. I'd say the dish I get most often is Drunken Noodles. You can choose your protein (beef, chicken, shrimp, tofu) and also your spice level. If you like spicy food, go with Yoga Flame. That's what I usually get.

Hmm

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 1:58 p.m.

What do you recommend from there?

ChelseaBob

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 11:28 a.m.

I've never eaten there because I can't figure out what they serve. Can't be Thai, right? They should change their name.

smokeblwr

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 11:04 a.m.

So does No Thai serve Thai food or no Thai food?

northside

Fri, Jul 13, 2012 : 12:50 p.m.

No Thai serves No Thai food.