Does this look like a restaurant? Among houses, former Boise home planned as cafe
A former home converted into office space is on track to become a restaurant in Boise’s North End.
The Crowded Table is planned at 1220 W. Hays St., according to a building permit filed with the city.
The bungalow-style house, listed at 1,516 square feet, most recently was used as office space. But residents on the block eventually could be enjoying meals there. An overview from Brio Architecture describes the transformation as the “conversion of an existing structure ... to a neighborhood cafe providing food service.”
The project, estimated to cost $262,000, will “cover the removal of existing interior walls to reconfigure the spaces, reconfiguration of the restroom, installation of kitchen equipment and construction of an outdoor dining patio with an integrated accessibility ramp.”
Restaurants materializing among neighborhood residences is feeling more common in Boise. With Hays Street so close to downtown, seeing a former house reborn as an eatery might not feel entirely jarring for nearby homeowners and renters.
Other new restaurants planned among homes in the North End include Wyld Child next to Camel’s Back Park, and 15th Street Cafe, across from Washington Elementary School at the intersection with Lemp Street.
This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 12:59 PM.