After a successful first year, Newch’s Banh Mi sandwich shop expands with a food truck
Newchee Lor is ready take Banh Mi sandwiches on the road to events, festivals and food truck rallies.
Newchee Lor opened Banh Mi sandwich shop nearly one year ago in a small space next to Wausau Oriental Foods on Fulton Street in Wausau. Now he’s taking that business out on the road.
Lor will soon launch a “food truck” version of Banh Mi. It’ll have many of the same sandwiches that patrons of the Vietnamese sandwich shop are used to, including steak, chicken, fried tofu and noodle sandwiches. Egg rolls and bubble tea will also be on the truck’s menu, Lor says. One item that won’t work with the truck, but has been popular at his restaurant, is pho — you’ll have to stop into the Fulton Street location to get your noodle soup fix.
Lor, whose family owns Banh Mi shops in Milwaukee, says the restaurant has been going through about 40-50 sandwiches per day, and the new food truck—actually a 16-foot trailer—will allow Lor to expand behind the Fulton Street confines. “I’m a little stuck here,” Lor says. “This is a good way to get my name out more and advertise at events in Wausau.”
Lor plans to get his mobile business into area farmers markets and events, as well as doing lunches at larger employers in town. Banh Mi does attract some customers from Schofield and Weston, but would like to gain more business from those areas and the food truck should do that, Lor says, by spreading the word about Vietnamese sandwiches.
Lao’D Eatery to open in the mall
With all the stores closing in the Wausau Center mall this year, some good news is welcome: a new restaurant is on its way.
Lao’D Eatery is set to open Friday in the food court spot formerly occupied by Stir Fry 88. Lao’D will serve American-Asian fusion with noodle and rice dishes, and “on a bun” offerings. The restaurant is a needed get for the mall, which has more than a dozen open storefronts. Several stores have closed this year, such as Payless Footwear, GNC and Apricot Lane Boutique.
City Bike Works will stay closed
Passersby on Third Street who’ve noticed that City Bike Works hasn’t been open but still seems filled with bikes, might be wondering what’s going on.
After the business’ owner, Richard Walters, died in April, his brother Tom Walters took over managing the transition. Walters says the business will go back to the bank, and that arrangements have been made to sell the stock. City Bike Works will not reopen, Walters says. Anyone who still has a bike at the shop for repairs should contact Tom Walters at 715-574-3175 to make arrangements.
