On Feb. 2, 2013, the Vietnamese Lotus Inn planned to close its doors for good. A little over two years later, owners Steve and Cuc Allen have reopened with a new name, VN Coffeehouse.

The Allens originally purchased the building in 2003 and successfully ran the Vietnamese Lotus Inn for 10 years. They attempted to sell the building for two years, and when they couldn’t they decided combining their restaurant with a coffeehouse was the best idea.

“We decided we were going to have something for the neighborhood, something where people can buy coffee and muffins in the morning for breakfast,” Cuc Allen said.

VN Coffeehouse serves everything from espresso drinks to the popular cà phê sữa đá.

“The Vietnamese coffee, cà phê sữa đá, actually sells more than anything here,” Steve Allen said.

Cuc is the cook at the VN Coffeehouse. “We still have about 80 percent of our original menu, including our very popular phở soup.”

All of the food at VN Coffeehouse has no MSG, is gluten-free, and made with local products.

“It’s definitely worth the drive because it’s great food,” Cuc Allen said.

VN Coffeehouse is located at 1314 Commonwealth Ave. in Gary-New Duluth, between Puglisi Gun Emporium and the Alpine Bar, across the street from Hugo’s Pizza.