Long Nguyen and his wife, Chau Tran, are expanding their Portland-based noodle business into Astoria with a new restaurant, Pho Mekha.

The pair are renovating the former Rumors bar into a family-friendly storefront on Marine Drive and plan to open in early July.

Nguyen and Tran first thought about opening a restaurant on the North Coast after hearing about an available space in Astoria during one of their many trips to the coast to buy seafood for their business.

“I was thinking about remodeling inside a little bit and opening a noodle shop for the community here … And (I) saw that in the evening many places closed really early. So I want to stay open until 8 or 9 (p.m.) so people have options to go to,” said Nguyen, who owns Pho Mekha Restaurant and Chi Em Mekha Grill in Portland.

Nguyen, who has Vietnamese and Cambodian roots, brings decades of experience to the new noodle shop. He began his journey in the restaurant business as a child while helping out in his mother’s restaurant.

The pair opened their first restaurant around 12 years ago and will continue to operate their two sister locations in Portland. Recently, they held a re-grand opening and expansion of Chi Em Mekha Grill.

Menu items the pair plan to serve at Pho Mekha include beef noodle soups and clay pot grilled chicken with turmeric rice. According to Nguyen, he serves Southern-style Asian food, which is known for its flavor due to the region’s ability to grow many ingredients.

The pair’s pho and entrées have gained recognition from various publications, including Eater Portland. In 2017, they were named Portland’s best pho by The Oregonian.

While the menu will be similar to their sister restaurants, Nguyen said he wants to incorporate local seafood for the Astoria location.

“I have a partner in the area, my partner has a fishing company in Garibaldi, it’s called CS Fishery … Jeffrey (Wong) is the one running it,” Nguyen said.

The pair have also begun looking into moving to Astoria. Nguyen said that spending time in Astoria during the renovation inspired him to want to stay.

“I am in love with the town, especially the bridge and the people around here,” he said.

While Nguyen is known for his cooking, he plans to be out of the kitchen and interacting with customers, as well. “I like to step out of cooking and I like to see how my customers consume … I want to listen to them so I can modify whatever that is fit for my customers,” he said.