Once dedicated to the burning of calories, a south-side commercial bay will soon be a place to enjoy a meal.
Thap Ba Restaurant is preparing to open in Bay C, 2067 Gaetz Ave. — the former premises of Curves weight loss centre. Specializing in Vietnamese food, the restaurant should be serving customers within a month, said Hai Nguyen, who will help manage the family-owned and operated business.
His mother Phuong and father Cuong, who came to Red Deer from Vietnam more than 20 years ago, will both cook at the restaurant. Its name is derived from a temple complex near their former home on the south-central coast of Vietnam.
Nguyen said Thap Ba will offer authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The family operated a restaurant by the same name at 7471 Edgar Industrial Bend for about six months last year, with Coffee Seven taking over the location in September.
Nguyen said the new site is in a much more prominent spot, with lots of traffic. Thap Ba will also be the only Vietnamese restaurant in that area of the city.
It will have seating for 80 to 90 people, he said.