New Boise restaurant to open in former Jim's Coffee Shop

Maybe the Rudy the rooster should have stayed in Boise’s North End.

Chickens will be safe at the eatery planning to open in the former Jim’s Coffee Shop space.

OK, not exactly. Vietnamese food will be on the menu at the planned 208 Pho & Vegan, which recently hung an eye-catching banner outside its door at 812 W. Fort St.

But a significant focus will be placed on meatless entrees, owner An Nguyen says.

“There’s a lot of people who like vegan,” he says.

Nguyen hopes to open March 21, but that date is not confirmed. He should know more next week.

One thing Nguyen is certain about? Although the restaurant will be redecorated — “in Asian way, Vietnamese-style,” he says — customers will notice old furnishings and kitchen equipment from Jim’s, which closed a few months ago.

“I’m going to keep it the same,” he says.

As for Rudy, the massive fiberglass bird that sat atop Jim’s for decades? He’s now at Delsa’s on the Boise Bench.

This story was originally published March 11, 2016 at 12:57 PM with the headline "New Boise restaurant to open in former Jim's Coffee Shop."