East Dallas’s Beloved Khao Noodle Shop Will Close ‘Until Further Notice’

After trying to adapt its business to a takeout-only model, East Dallas Laotian restaurant Khao Noodle Shop is calling it quits — for now.

Owner and chef Donny Sirisavath announced the restaurant’s temporary closure in an Instagram post over the weekend, noting that Saturday, April 18 will be its last night of service “until further notice.” We’ve tried our best to stay open and stop the bleeding as much as possible,” Sirisavath wrote in the post. “We’re a small business, we own our business, we don’t have any outside investors or silent investors. Every cent of the money we make at Khao goes back into the business.”

According to Sirisavath, the move is an effort to ensure that his employees are able to protect their physical health, and apply for unemployment to help keep them financially afloat amid all this uncertainty. “It’s more of about the safety and well being of our tribe. We can’t be a full running restaurant without our tribe. It’s best to see them back healthy, when it’s all over with,” Sirisavath said. “We wanted to buy some time to allow our tribe to apply for grants and unemployment. Making sure they were able to have an income to survive on.”

Even though the restaurant will close, Sirisavath plans to keep the restaurant’s pop-up Khao Mart open, and will develop a selection of “pre-packaged goods” for sale to customers in an effort to help pay rent on the space at 4812 Bryan Street.

This week, Khao Noodle Shop will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, then open Thursday through its last (for now!) night of service on Saturday.