It's easy to miss the slight sign change at the ever-evolving commercial hub of Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue. Bubble Me, the bubble tea and Asian eatery next to
Stella's Fish Cafe, has quietly morphed into a Sawatdee Express shop. So far, not much has changed on the menu. But according to manager Wesley Youkunlaya, the direct owner is now Sawatdee queen bee Supenn Harrison, and the place is no longer run by her nephew Bamrung Thammaruksa, as was the case when
Rachel Hutton wrote about Bubble Me back in May.
So how does this under-performing shop plan on surviving in the middle of Uptown's trendy-eats mecca?
"We're going to focus on fresh salads," says Youkulaya, noting that the express store lacks a kitchen, and the majority of the food is prepared at the Sawatdee mainstay on Washington Avenue. The menu already has six salad listings, ranging from a silver-thread noodle and mint chicken dish to a Thai salad made with an always-popular peanut sauce. The best part? Nothing is priced over $7.50.
This isn't the first express store they've opened: the skyway location is a hit among the business lunch crowd. Youkunlaya hopes to attract a different niche following at the Uptown location, notably the hipster-set that's short on cash but high on hunger. Lately the store has been closing around 10 p.m. on weekend nights, just to open up again after midnight to serve bar-goers looking to sop up their evening liquor intake.
"We have cheap prices and big portions. It's great for young people, for to-go," says Youkunlaya. He notes that opening up a completely new concept such a Bubble Me was very difficult, and he says they've already seen more people trickle in with their new Sawatdee name. "No one knew Bubble Me," says Youkunlaya. "People already know Sawatdee."
Location Info
2650 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN
Category: Restaurant