IM2

The International Market has been a beloved staple on Belmont Boulevard since it opened in 1975, and MZA is honored to have worked with the Myint family to open its latest iteration—affectionately dubbed IM2.

The original location closed in 2019 after Belmont University purchased the site to build a new performing art center on the property. Anna and Arnold Myint, children of original owners Patti and Win Myint, were determined to keep the Thai market and restaurant in the neighborhood and set their sights on renovating another of their family’s establishments (formerly Blvd) across the street to serve as its new home.

The newly renovated space is a mix of old and new, with pieces of the original location featured throughout: The iconic, bright orange booths sit under a field of woven rattan pendants. Original exterior lettering adorns a wall in the dining room, and bricks from the original building are featured behind the cocktail bar. Even the vintage gumball machine remains. Beautiful carved teak doors that belong to the Myints now lead to the bathrooms, where a pop of orange returns in the graphic floor tile and paint. The interiors are clean and bright, serving as a backdrop to the colorful packaging of the products featured in the market.

Photos by Bryan McCord, courtesy of Dowdle Construction