Kyle Arnold: A new year brings new restaurants to region.

Local residents will have plenty of new dining options heading into 2018 as a handful of eateries have rushed to open their doors.

Lao street food spot Sticky Rice opened at 1915 E. Colonial Drive from Soupa Saiyan owner Marshall Phanthachit and co-chef Kevin Phanhvilay.

The restaurant serves small-plate dishes such as chicken laab, Laotian chicken wings and, of course, sticky rice.

Tampa-based Cody’s Original Roadhouse opened a second site in The Villages in Paddock Square at 3731 Meggison Road.

The restaurant is best known for barbecue, ribs and steak.

Near downtown the founder of Graffiti Junktion is opening an experimental concept called Truck Stop Pop-Up Kitchen.

Owner Greg Peters said the spot will host a rotating selection of local chefs and food trucks instead of having a full-time menu.

It opened at 900 E. Washington St., the former location of a Graffiti Junktion, which moved two blocks away.

Disney Springs restaurant The Edison chose to open the New Year with a party Dec. 31, but the restaurant won’t officially open until sometime later in January, a representative for the restaurant’s parent company said.

And Audubon Park ramen spot Domu reached outside Central Florida to break ground on a new location in Jacksonville.

Last call for two bars

Orlando speakeasy Herman’s Loan Office and Church Street drinking spot Native Social Bar have closed. Owner V Group Concepts said it would not renew leases on Herman’s at 22 W. Pine St., or Native Social Bar at 27 W. Church St.

“The leases attached to these venues are up and our management has collectively decided not to renew,” said a statement from V Group Concepts spokeswoman Daniela Ress. “The venues will no longer be in operation as of January 1st, 2018.”

Herman’s Loan Office opened two years ago as one of the last speakeasy style bars to come into Orlando among a wave of them. It was opened by bartender Rene Nguyen, who headed another downtown Speakeasy, Hanson’s Shoe Repair.

V Group Concepts is the operator of downtown entertainment venues such as Vintage, Bauhaus and Side Bar.

With the closure of Native Social Bar and Herman’s Loan Office, V Group Concepts also said it is working on a new concept for the Thornton Park neighborhood on the southeast side of downtown. But the company did not have further details on the project.

Tijuana Flats expands to-go kits

After introducing makeat-home taco kits in July, Maitland-based Tijuana Flats has rolled out a new entry into the to-go kit category. The restaurants are selling $35 “Hardly Homemade” burrito kits. The kits come with tortillas, meat, toppings, beans and chips. The kits are also available with UberEats delivery.