If you were looking forward to a slice of Armand’s pizza, you’ll have to travel to Elmwood Park. The popular parlor is not relocating to the corner of Madison and Desplaines as expected, but the empty restaurant at the busy intersection may not sit vacant for long. Instead, a menu of sushi and Thai is slated to debut sometime next month.
“We are not sure yet about a name,” Porch Rueng, whose family owns several Asian restaurants, said.
Rueng, her husband, Eddy Nuntarach, and her mother own neighboring eateries in Oak Park. New Pot, 727 Lake, offers a Thai menu and has been in business for about 10 years, said Rueng. Next door, at 731 Lake, is Sagano, a sushi restaurant that opened some five years ago.
The family also owns three more restaurants in Chicago, said Rueng.
The Forest Park location would be in addition to the family’s existing businesses and is expected to offer a combination of Japanese and Thai foods. Rueng said she and her husband were attracted to the property at 7600 Madison for several reasons. The space is significantly larger than the storefront restaurants in Oak Park, and after peering through the windows the family was impressed with the amenities. It’s also extremely visible.
“They have so much traffic, so much cars over there,” Rueng said.
The village council voted in April to allow Gil Paringella, a River Forest resident, to open an Armand’s pizza parlor at that location. The restaurant’s opening was contingent, however, on selling the company’s Elmwood Park property. A source familiar with the transaction said a sale could not be reached.
