Less than a year after shuttering in the Grand Rapids area, an Asian street food restaurant is set to make a comeback.
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K-Pocha’s Roots in West Michigan
K-Pocha first openedat 5751 Byron Center Ave. SW in Wyoming in June of 2023 at the site of the former Windy City Grill. Husband-and-wife team Lam To and ThienHa Phan, along with friend Chef Phong Nguyen were behind the new Korean street food restaurant. The menu featured made-to-order Korean corn dogs, meat skewers, rice dishes, and other street-food staples.
Then, last February, the owners announced the closure of the K-Pocha, citing high rent and food costs. According to Crain’s Grand Rapids, Nguyen hoped to expand the menu beyond Korean street food to include a wider range of Asian dishes at different price points. His partners had a different vision, and the group ultimately split, selling their shares to Nguyen. In the same space, he opened Pho House, a casual Vietnamese restaurant.
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Before that, Nguyen also operated Monsoon Vietnamese Restaurant in downtown Grand Rapids. It closed in early 2025 and later became a Cajun eatery under new ownership.
Expansion Success in Traverse City and Holland
K-Pocha, however, continued to evolve. Nguyen opened a Traverse Cityrestaurant, followed by a Holland location in October of this year. In addition to Korean corn dogs, the menus include restaurants Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen, wings, rice dishes, bao buns, meat skewers, dumplings, ice cream, and bubble waffle desserts.
With both sites performing well and interest in Korean street food continuing to grow, he’s now preparing for a Grand Rapids return.
Grand Rapids Return: Food Truck and New Location
Crain’s reports that Nguyen plans to roll out a K-Pocha food truck first, with a new brick-and-mortar restaurant expected next year. He’s currently scouting locations for the Grand Rapids reopening…