After 15 years, this Boise restaurant has closed. Will another open there? Pho sure!

Before there were multiple Boise destinations specializing in big bowls of Vietnamese soup, one restaurant hoped to lead the way.

Pho 79 opened at 7310 W. State St. in December 2003, serving the salty, noodle-and-beef-filled broth, plus more generic Chinese dishes.

But Pho 79 recently closed.

The good news? The space is being remodeled and reopened as the city’s second 208 Pho & Vegan. The first 208 Pho opened at 812 W. Fort St. near the Boise Co-op in 2016.

“Same name, same menu,” 208 Pho owner An Nguyen says. “Same everything.”

This should excite Boise pho fanatics, who speak highly of the North End restaurant in Yelp reviews.

Nguyen says he hopes to welcome customers into the State Street location of 208 Pho & Vegan by the end of August.

This story was originally published July 27, 2018 at 11:58 AM.