Last November, we shared news of Ohio City Burrito’s big move in Ohio City, one that will take them 400 feet south to a larger restaurant space in the Carroll Avenue condo building on W. 25th Street. The latest estimate, according to owners Jeff and Michelle Pizzuli, puts opening day sometime this summer.
And today we are learning about the business that will take Ohio City Burrito’s original space (1844 W. 25th St.), one they have occupied since opening in 2009.
June Smith, who launched her mobile food operation back in 2023 as a part-time venture, will open Rooster Kitchen. In three short years, Smith went from operating a small trailer to a well-equipped food truck. And soon, she will open her first brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Setting up shop at events, breweries and farmers markets all over town, Smith quickly attracted a following for her fresh, flavorful Asian street food dishes. After establishing a baseline, she settled into a concise menu of five dishes: pad Thai, chicken basil, crazy noodle, pad see ew and hibachi.
“We were non-stop – we did so many events,” she says of those whirlwind years.
Smith is from Narathiwat in southern Thailand, but many of her formative years were spent 700 miles north in Bangkok.
“I learned cooking mostly from my memories,” Smith explains. “I stayed in Bangkok for almost 10 years and I loved the street food there. I kept practicing – and I stuck to the flavors of my country – and people love it.”
Smith credits unique flavors, repetition, and a streamlined menu as the formula for her success. That model, she believes, will transfer seamlessly to a restaurant, one that will remain true to its origins.
“I want to start small with a one-page menu,” she says.
In addition to those five core items, Smith plans to add a few more dishes, a wider selection of proteins, and occasional chef’s specials. Rooster Kitchen will serve lunch and dinner, either as a fast-casual eatery or full-service restaurant.
Smith says that after operating a popular food truck for three years, running a brick-and-mortar restaurant will be a nice change of pace.
“In three hours [on the food truck], I believe we made two or three hundred orders – and we make every single one fresh,” she says. “It’s good practice.”
Smith says that it is her desire to keep the food truck running after the restaurant opens, but that depends on finding great help.
Assuming Ohio City Burrito moves out in early July as planned, Rooster Kitchen could open its doors in August.
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