ThaiPop to take over Nellie's location on Historic Third

A popular Thai restaurant is expanding its footprint downtown.

On Wednesday, it was announced that ThaiPop will take over the street-level space at 4 Third Street Southwest, now home to Nellie’s on 3rd. The latter restaurant will be closing in June after a year-long run.

ThaiPop had previously operated a micro-restaurant in the basement of the Third Street building, before transitioning to take-out only during the pandemic. The business, run by Annie and Ryan Balow, has garnered a loyal following, with scheduled orders selling out within hours of going live.

"We really miss interacting with our customers at the restaurant,” Annie said of the last 12 months. “We are also eager for everyone to enjoy our food fresh, as it's meant to be eaten [opposed to take out].”

In a statement, Nellie’s on 3rd owner Nelson Leung described the transition as bittersweet, noting that he and his wife have run restaurants out of the space since 2006 (Sontes, Grand Rounds). But he added it was only fitting that “such a vibrant, young and talented team is going into the space.”

“It has been a pleasure to watch ThaiPop grow and thrive and we wish them all of the luck in their new venture,” said Leung. “Rochester is fortunate to have such a gifted chef calling downtown Rochester home.”

The ThaiPop owners plan to have the full-service restaurant open in the fall. Meanwhile, Nellie’s says it will continue to run the catering arm of its business through the end of the year to honor catering commitments.

Tessa's Office Wine Boutique, located in the same building, will remain in the same spot and continue to operate as usual.