The Chef's Hut has served pancakes, cinnamon rolls and omelets in Boise since 1974. For most of that time it has been at 164 S. Cole Road, near Boise Towne Square. Its next home is 303 N. Orchard Street, a building last used by Gang Nam Korean Cuisine, which closed about three years ago. The owners have said on Facebook that they hope to open by Thanksgiving.
The Chef's Hut isn't the only business coming to Orchard. Walkin Takos opened four blocks north in September, and a new tavern is going up four blocks south. Neither is a new building. These operators are taking over existing buildings and reworking them, and in this part of town that makes Orchard the fastest-changing street for food in fall 2026.
Orchard Street, block by block
Here is where each project stands as of early October 2026.
Address | Business | What was there before | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
701 N. Orchard St. | Walkin Takos | Tangos Empanadas | Open since September 12 |
303 N. Orchard St. | The Chef's Hut | Gang Nam Korean Cuisine | Owners hope to open by Thanksgiving |
110 N. Orchard St. | Lost River Tavern | Building under renovation | Under construction as of June; no opening announced |
Two of the three are moving into rooms that already had a dining area and a kitchen. The third is an overhaul of an existing building, and in June construction was underway behind a chain-link fence.
A 1974 breakfast spot moves to 303 N. Orchard
The Chef's Hut news first came out through permits. In late April, BoiseDev reported a restaurant tenant improvement filed with the City of Boise for The Chef's Hut at 303 N. Orchard St. The permit called for "a mural and minor exterior changes to the existing building." The city approved those changes on March 20. On April 1, Ada County Assessor records show the property going to Hut Holdings LLC, which lists owner Danielle Dore as its registered agent and governor.
According to the permit documents, the new space covers 2,980 square feet:
- A dining area with 13 tables and a spacious waiting area
- A kitchen, prep space, office, restrooms and walk-in storage
- A patio of about 710 square feet behind the building
- A mural on the south side of the building called "Roses," painted by Dore herself
At first it wasn't clear whether Orchard would be a second location or a replacement. By mid-September, BoiseDev was describing it as a move. So after more than 50 years near the mall, one of Boise's oldest breakfast restaurants plans to settle on the Bench. Hours for the Orchard location haven't been posted, and the timeline is still "hope to be open by Thanksgiving," which falls on November 26 this year. For now, the Facebook page is the best place to watch for an opening date.
Walkin Takos trades a truck for 701 N. Orchard
Walkin Takos started as a food truck known for its Tex-Mex walking tacos. Owners David Eisenhauer and Chase Harris built their first brick-and-mortar menu around that idea. Their spring target was a June 6 grand opening. The date slipped, and the restaurant held its grand opening on Saturday, September 12, in the former Tangos Empanadas space. The menu has the walking tako chips with taco toppings plus beer, cocktails and wine for guests 21 and older.
The restaurant's website now says "Permanent Location Open Now!" and lists hours of Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. In April the owners also talked about a bigger patio, TVs and adding breakfast in the fall. Breakfast hasn't been added to the posted hours yet, which still start at 11 a.m. If breakfast does arrive, 701 and 303 N. Orchard would both be serving morning food four blocks apart.
Behind the fence at 110 N. Orchard
Lost River Tavern is the least public of the three. BoiseDev first reported it in February as a family-style tavern serving pizza and comfort food. The owners didn't respond to questions then. The Idaho Statesman followed up on June 2. City permits show a roughly 3,400-square-foot building with a patio, and the owners are listed as Lew Pettis and Chris Gerke. Studio H Architects is handling the design, and construction was still underway at the time.
A guide to summer openings published in May estimated "Late Summer 2026." As of early October, no opening date or hours have been published. From the street, 110 N. Orchard is still a renovation in progress, and the June reporting is the most recent firm information.
The same move off Orchard
Orchard has the most projects, but the same pattern of new operators taking over existing restaurant space shows up a few blocks away, along with longer daily hours.
The clearest example is on Latah Street. White Rabbit at 4 N. Latah St. closed in December 2025. In January, BoiseDev reported that owners Sarah and DK Kelly were selling the restaurant and its building to Wylder Hospitality Group. Wylder replaced it with Sidequest, which serves housemade pasta and focaccia sandwiches. Managing partner David Rex leads the group.
On Overland Road, Betty's Cafe took longer than planned. Owners Marcus Allen and Veronica "Betty" Mena announced the cafe at 4504 W. Overland Rd. in July 2025. They planned a breakfast-and-lunch spot with a French-press coffee bar and pastries and hoped to open within six weeks. It finally opened in late April 2026, after last-minute problems delayed a planned grand-opening weekend. The menu includes Betty's Big Breakfast, chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, biscuits and gravy, and house-made cinnamon rolls.
Amanda's European Cafe at 217 S. Roosevelt St. started small. Amanda and Mike Turner opened it May 9, running Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. while their daughters, who are their main staff, finished school. "Right out of the gate we got slammed," Mike Turner wrote about the first weekend, when they sold out of food early both days. The website describes it as "a cozy woman-owned cafe serving scratch-made vegetarian comfort food and locally-sourced coffee." In June, the couple said they were working on the patio, a small stage for live music and a beer-and-wine license so they could add evening hours. Since then they have expanded well past weekends. The homepage now lists evening hours on Fridays and Saturdays and a September special of 2-for-1 beer and wine. We haven't seen confirmation that live music has started.
Current hours, morning to night
These three post their hours on their own websites:
- Betty's Cafe, 4504 W. Overland Rd.: Tuesday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Monday
- Amanda's European Cafe, 217 S. Roosevelt St.: weekdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Monday
- Walkin Takos, 701 N. Orchard St.: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Amanda's site gives Friday two different hours, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. under "weekdays" and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on a separate Friday-and-Saturday line, so check before a Friday morning visit. Sidequest on Latah covers the evening. When it opened in February, the Idaho Statesman listed its hours as 4 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 4 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday. The Chef's Hut and Lost River Tavern aren't open yet. Between them, they would add a breakfast room and a dinner-and-drinks spot to the same half-mile of Orchard Street where Walkin Takos already serves until 9 p.m.
If you've been watching storefronts like 303 N. Orchard change hands and wondering what it means for your block, Jay De Beer follows these changes on the Bench closely and is glad to talk through what's happening near you. Let's Connect.
