After the closure of The Jones Eastside in 2014, a new ramen noodle shop sprung up in its place on Monday.
Electric Ramen, at 401 NE 23rd Ave., will give customers 50 percent off any menu item during its soft opening hours, which are from noon to 2 p.m., for the remainder of the week, owner Kon Ying said.
Electric Ramen menu
The Jones Eastside cited the old building’s infrastructure prompting the closure, according to Alligator archives.
Starting Monday, the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It offers only three menu items: ramen with pork, vegetarian ramen and a steamed bun with pork or tofu. Prices range from $3 to $8.
“I’m content with a small menu,” Ying said. “We’ll be the Chipotle of ramen noodles. As long as people are happy, that’s good enough for me.”
The startup price for the entire restaurant was less than $20,000, Ying said.
Violet Menendez, 35, is one of three staff members working at the restaurant. She estimates that she’s already cooked for close to 250 customers since the store opened last week to family and friends.
“Almost everybody that’s tried it has said it’s great,” Menendez said.
Having no experience in the restaurant business, Ying said he hopes his personal project will bring success in the coming months.
“We’re craft ramen at uncrafty prices,” he said. “People can think of us as a distant cousin to Crane Ramen.”
Contact Max Chesnes at mchesnes@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter at @chesnesmax
