It's sad when a restaurant departs as Montana's did in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
But now a new eatery is set to open up in the large space located at Coquitlam Centre.
Located at 1046-2929 Barnet Hwy., Neptune Noodle Bar has announced a spring opening for a restaurant in the space vacated by the former ribs and chicken joint.
It will be the fourth noodle house for Neptune Restaurant Group, which also has restaurants in Burnaby, Vancouver International airport (YVR), Richmond and Surrey, as well as Chinese Chinese Kitchen, Ryu Japnese Kitchen, Cafe il Nido and the Neptune Seafood Restaurant.
According to its website, Neptune Seafood Restaurant and Neptune Wonton Noodle has acquired fame for its "gourmet specialty of abalone and seafood" in the greater Vancouver area since their establishment in 1997 by the Neptune Restaurant Group.
The menu for noodle soups includes eight different bases, 11 types of noodles and more than two dozen toppings from beef to fish to vegetarian.
Meanwhile, nearby, Cactus Club is building a 10,130 sq. ft. standalone eatery at the south end of the Coquitlam Centre mall property, facing the Barnet Highway.
And inside the mall, the food court is undergoing an $11 million facelift, including a $2-million upgrade of the washroom facilities.
Work is expected to take about eight months and be complete in time for holiday shopping in November. In the meantime, efforts will be made to reduce any inconvenience to customers.
A video available online shows a revamped food court with more seating, including a new cafe section, and lounging chairs, as well as updated lighting, decor and a brighter colour scheme.
As many as 200 more seats will be added to the food court, according to the announcement; as well, food vendors will be updated.
Morguard Investments manages Coquitlam Centre mall.
