Two newlyweds are poised to bring another dose of improvement to the East Girard Ave. business corridor with Stock, a Vietnamese pho restaurant they plan to open in January at 308 E. Girard Ave., the site of a former ice cream shop.

Tyler Akin, a sous chef at Zahav, and Nicole Reigle, moved to Fishtown last year and are eager to become invested in the community. Over the past year, they’ve attended zoning meetings and gotten to know the neighborhood better. Now the two have decided they want to contribute to the growing East Girard Avenue corridor. It was less expensive than the numerous places they checked out near Frankford Avenue and it gives them the chance to get in early-ish on East Girard Avenue improvements. The couple received support from the Fishtown Neighbors Association at a zoning meeting last month.

Thus far, Girard Ave. has seen various improvements east of Frankford, like a new mixed-use building at Girard and Shackamaxon. It's no secret that new retail and new construction are popping along Frankford Ave. almost every month. But Girard has seen new spots open too. In fact, it was the small-scale model of Pizzeria Beddia that inspired Atkin and Reigle to form their own business plan.

“We want to bring a new idea to Girard,” said Akin. “We're planning on putting roots down in Fishtown.”

Stock will offer small-batch high quality pho for $8 or $9 a bowl. Before it opens, exterior renovations designed by Ambit Architecture will change the now green and pink latticed window work that makes the location look like a cupcake into a sleeker, more contemporary storefront. We'll look forward to pho in the northern part of town as this winter takes a turn for the colder.