HUMBOLDT PARK — Sticky Rice's much anticipated second location did not go as smoothly as planned so the owners of the beloved North Center Thai staple have switched gears and plan to reopen their West Wicker Park/Humboldt Park spot as "Sweet Rice" on Tuesday.
First reported by Eater, Sticky Rice Chiang Mai at 1746 N. Western Ave., which opened in February 2014, will reopen as Sweet Rice.
No menu is available yet for the rebranded spot — next to Snappy Mobile gas station and just steps from The 606's Western avenue ramp — but owner Jan Purananda told Eater that Sweet Rice will also serve Korean and Japanese dishes along with Thai staples.
Early Tuesday, paper still covered the windows of the former Sticky Rice and signs informed customers that Sweet Rice was coming soon. The former Sticky Rice Chiang Mai website announced that the old location closed on Dec. 14 and Sweet Rice was "coming soon."
Purananda told Eater that there were too many order mix-ups and general confusion between the Sticky Rice spots, since both, though many miles apart, were located on Western Avenue and next to gas stations.
Customer confusion over the two Sticky Rice restaurants was evident in a few Yelp.com reviews, including one from Dec. 5, just days before the short closure.
"There are two locations and I had no idea until I showed up at the one in the North Center neighborhood, and the staff looked at me like I was crazy when I said my friend had made a reservation. I almost lost it when a different waitress said he had made one and canceled. That was right about the time I got the text from this guy, telling me I was not at the right spot. I almost blew my lid having to drive to the outskirts of Humboldt Park, but by the time I got there, it was worth it," a Yelp member wrote.
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