Local

Nine stories about recent restaurant openings and closings in Pierce County

Stories by Tacoma News Tribune journalists, with AI summarization

This list of stories illustrates new Pierce County restaurant openings like Seoul Bowl at Tacoma Mall, food truck pods such as Pind Kohala in Puyallup and changes in restaurant ownership at places like Outpost Sandwiches and Gig Harbor Thai Cuisine. Several longtime favorites like Art House Cafe and Moshi Ramen Bar have closed.

A Native chef's pop-up at Holy Moly Bar and Lobo Bakery’s pastries seen at local farmers markets show a trend of specialty offerings and community-focused experiences.

Lobo Bakery co-owner Miguel Silva-Glenn arranges croissants while preparing pastries at My Commercial Kitchen, on Friday, May 9, 2025, in Tacoma, Wash. By Brian Hayes

NO. 1: TACOMA’S BEST NEW BAKERY IS QUIRKY AND TALENTED. TRY THE CHURRO CRUFFINS

The owners met at a venerable Jewish bakery in NYC. Now they’re making excellent croissants with flavor combinations you won’t find elsewhere. | Published May 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kristine Sherred

Construction takes place on The Village, an addition to the Tacoma Mall, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Tacoma, Wash. By Brian Hayes

NO. 2: KOREAN STREET FOOD, SWANKY ‘SAC’ SEATS, POP CULTURE TOY STORE HEADED TO TACOMA MALL

The toy store specializes in “blind box” or “mystery box” items and also is known for selling Labubu dolls. | Published May 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Debbie Cockrell

Odd Otter Brewing Co. in downtown Tacoma opened an in-house restaurant (on a permanently parked food truck) in April 2025. The menu includes cold and grilled sandwiches, charcuterie and potato salad. By Kristine Sherred

NO. 3: BáNH Mì-STYLE BRATS, HEFTY ITALIAN SUBS AND MORE ON NEW MENU AT TACOMA BREWERY

The downtown brewery opened an in-house food truck serving hot and cold sandwiches, charcuterie and more. | Published May 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kristine Sherred

Art House Cafe sits along North Tacoma Avenue on Monday, May 5, 2025, in Tacoma, Wash. The space, known for its brunch and lunch, closed after service on May 3, 2025. By Liesbeth Powers

NO. 4: ‘BRUNCH STAPLE IN TACOMA’ KNOWN FOR ITS CINNAMON ROLLS HAS CLOSED

“For those of you who are shocked and saddened, please know this has been a hard but necessary choice,” the owners wrote in their announcement. | Published May 6, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kristine Sherred

Indo Asian Street Eatery and Moshi Ramen Bar are located next door to one another along North Tacoma Avenue on Monday, May 5, 2025, in the Stadium Historic District of Tacoma, Wash. By Liesbeth Powers

NO. 5: ENERGETIC TACOMA RAMEN RESTAURANT ABRUPTLY CLOSED. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW

Moshi Ramen Bar was closed for good Monday, leaving staff in a lurch. Its sister spot continues under new ownership. | Published May 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kristine Sherred

The seafood combination at Gig Harbor Thai Cuisine features a mix of seafood sautéed in chili sauce, mushrooms, baby corn, bell peppers, onion and basil, according to their menu. By Chili Thai

NO. 6: PIERCE COUNTY THAI CHAIN NOW RUNNING WATERFRONT RESTAURANT WITH NEW MENU

The waterfront Thai restaurant now has over 80 dishes on the menu and new booths inside, according to the restaurant chain’s manager. | Published May 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Julia Park

Chef Ramon Shiloh will serve a four-course pop-up dinner at Holy Moly Bar in Tacoma on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Dishes will pair with the indigenous chef’s storytelling.

NO. 7: COFFEE-RUBBED BISON, WILD-RICE PANCAKES AT THIS TACOMA DINNER WITH NATIVE CHEF

It’s something of a comeback story for chef Ramon Shiloh, who was working on an indigenous food program in Tacoma before an accident upended his life and that project. | Published May 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kristine Sherred

Outpost Sandwiches was among the best lunch restaurants in Tacoma since its operators took over in 2017. This turkey and prosciutto added Dijonnaise and basil pesto. A new owner plans to update the concept at Court House Square. By Kristine Sherred

NO. 8: SPOT WITH ‘BEST SANDWICHES IN T-TOWN’ CLOSES. NEW OWNER PLANS TO REVAMP MENU

The downtown sandwich shop was known for thoughtful touches like house sauces as well as an under-the-radar Friday pizza special. | Published May 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kristine Sherred

Raj Singh and Rajinder Kaur pose at the site of their new food truck pod, Pind Kohala, at 1824 S Meridian on May 20, 2025.

NO. 9: PIZZA, BURGERS AND INDIAN CUISINE: PUYALLUP’S NEW FOOD TRUCK POD OPENS THIS WEEK

“It was my dream project, to be honest,” one of the business owners said. “I wanted to have something [where], like, the whole family can come and parents, with their kids, they can enjoy a variety of food there.” | Published May 20, 2025 | Read Full Story by Isabela Lund

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.