Thanh?s, The Bayou New in New Town

Thanh Le opened Thanh’s Restaurant in Rogers’ New Town Square shopping center in October. Le said it’s the only Vietnamese restaurant in Northwest Arkansas.

This is the first restaurant for Le, who worked for 15 years in the Wal-Mart warehouse in Bentonville.

The 1,600-SF restaurant at 115 Dixieland Road will seat about 70 diners, Le said. Lunch specials include an entrée, won-ton soup, two egg rolls and a drink for $5. For dinner, Le said, a favorite is stir-fried noodles with beef, pork, chicken or shrimp (also $5).

Thanh’s is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Thanh Le’s brother, Vo Le, has operated Vo’s Oriental Market in the same shopping center for the past six years.

A bar called The Bayou opened Sept. 24 in Rogers’ New Town Square. Wendell Franklin of Bella Vista owns the business.

Shelly McKnight, the day bartender, said The Bayou has nine beers on tap, nine bottled beers, 53 bottles of liquor and six different wines.

“We just knocked down a wall, and we’ll be expanding and serving lunch soon,” she said, adding that the business already serves occasional meals.

The Bayou is open from noon to 2 a.m. seven days a week and has live music every night except Monday, when Monday Night Football is the entertainment.