Noodle World owner seeks new Westwood location after store closure

Noodle World closed its doors Friday after two decades of business in Westwood.

The pan-Asian restaurant on Westwood Boulevard will vacate its space when its lease ends Thursday.

Noodle World owner John Mekpongsatorn, who founded the restaurant chain 24 years ago, said he hopes his business won’t be absent from Westwood for long. He said the Noodle World company is seeking a new space in Westwood Village.

Mekpongsatorn said he is closing the store because the new lease agreement Topa Management proposed was too expensive.

“We have no problems with Topa as a landlord,” Mekpongsatorn added. “It’s just that our negotiations didn’t work out.”

The Noodle World company has nine locations across Los Angeles including their Westwood store, according to the Noodle World website. Five are full-service Noodle World restaurants, while the other four are smaller fast-casual operations, named Noodle World Jr.

Mekpongsatorn said that if his company can secure a new location in the Village, the size of the space will determine whether he opens a Noodle World or Noodle World Jr.

When the Noodle World brand was only a few years old, the revenue its Westwood location generated enabled his company to open new stores, Mekpongsatorn said.

“Westwood was crucial to our expansion when we were still in our infancy,” he said. “(Operating in Westwood) has been a rewarding experience.”

Mekpongsatorn said a stricken customer personally gave every staff member a $20 tip when he learned Noodle World was closing a few days ago.

“We have such a strong following here,” he said. “We definitely want to continue serving the community.”