Kennewick restaurant now Pacific Pasta & Grill

You can still order noodles at the Kennewick restaurant on Grandridge Boulevard, but it's no longer Nothing But Noodles.

Instead, after seven years, owners Mary Sue and Jim Hui have ended their franchise affiliation and renamed their restaurant Pacific Pasta & Grill.

"The name was too limiting, and we really wanted to do our own thing," said Mary Sue Hui of Kennewick.

"We added 'Grill' to the name to grow from just pasta to a much more wide range of items. We're now serving gourmet salads, burgers, sandwiches and soups to reach a larger client base," she said.

They made the name change at the first of March but are announcing their new name and new menu at a ribbon cutting at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

"We'll have free cake drawings for gift certificates and daily specials from Thursday, Friday and Saturday," she said.

The same 17 people are working at the newly named restaurant. The team includes Hui's daughter, Niki Fisher of Kennewick, a chef and manager of the restaurant.

"We'll likely add additional help as we grow the catering side of our business. We've always done wedding receptions and dinner parties, but our name (Nothing But Noodles) limited us," said Mary Sue Hui.

The Pacific in their new name is a nod to the Pacific Northwest and their roots.

"We're from Oregon and Idaho, and now live in Washington, and we're proud of that, so why not Pacific?" she said.

The restaurant has a new look with new paint and decor, but it features the same casual dining atmosphere. It's open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For those dining in, there's a selection of beer and wine, as well as soft drinks. They also will pack your meal for takeout.

The restaurant and catering menus are at www.pacificpastaandgrill.com.

"We're not set up to take orders online, but it's definitely something we're looking into," she said.

For more information, call 783-7847 for the restaurant and catering. It is at 7911 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.

-- Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com

This story was originally published April 10, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Kennewick restaurant now Pacific Pasta & Grill."