Idaho

Thirsty? New business venture opens inside Rexburg restaurant – East Idaho News

Published

1 year ago

October 24, 2024

Thirsty? New business venture opens inside Rexburg restaurant – East Idaho News

REXBURG — The Kingdom of Pho, a popular Vietnamese restaurant on Main Street in Rexburg, has recently expanded its menu and is offering more than 20 varieties of large-portioned boba and lemonade drinks.

After opening a very successful shed in an outdoor food court, Vitali quickly moved “the Kingdom” into a restaurant location on Main Street in 2023.

In July 2024, Vitali also started a line of boba and lemonade as a separate business entity, housed and sold in the same venue as the Kingdom. Just like his original recipe for pho, Vitali created the formula for 10 boba varieties and 10 distinct lemonades with popping boba, which he sells under the new Sumo Boba brand.

Each drink is sold in a 32-ounce cup, and Vitali isn’t offering any smaller sizes – hence the “Sumo” brand, which is meant to invoke the hefty portions for the new drinks.

Vitali mentioned his experience in buying boba, which is often sold in smaller portions, such as 12 or 16 oz.

“Why not offer 32-ounce cups and charge around the same price, maybe just a little bit more? (At Sumo) our customers are getting 12 ounces more for $1 more.”

Sumo boba flavors include honey dew, iced mocha, coffee pudding, pumpkin spice, tiramisu, creme brulee, mango, brown sugar, thai tea and taro. Lemonade varieties include kiwi, raspberry, pineapple, peach, lychee, cantaloupe, blueberry and watermelon.

Sumo boba is served in 32-ounce “buckets,” while lemonade orders are served in a taller, more narrow cup with a different design intended to fit cup holders.

David George, EastIdahoNews.com

“We added boba because I was just sick and tired of paying overkill for a cup full of ice,” Vitali said. “We also added an orange chicken dish, for people that don’t know what they want to eat. It’s a little Asian fusion.”

interior of Kingdom of Pho — David George, EastIdahoNews.com

Customers can buy anything from the Sumo drink menu in person at the Kingdom of Pho or through the DoorDash app, in addition to the food already on the menu.

Of course, the Kingdom of Pho specializes in its namesake dish – pronounced “fuh,” but spelled “pho.”

“‘I grew up eating pho,” says Wayne Vitali, the owner and operator of the Kingdom of Pho in Rexburg. “The area I was raised in was heavily Asian, and the place across the street from my work was a pho place. I ate there almost every day.”

Vitali was born in Southern California, close to Los Angeles, but ended up moving to eastern Idaho in 2019, after serving a two-year mission for his church in France and later a term of service in the Navy.

Vitali came to Idaho to be close to his brother, who was living here at the time, and ended up staying.

“When I first came to Rexburg, there weren’t a lot of food options, aside from fast food,” Vitali recounts. “I thought for my own health, I needed to get something healthy.”

Thus, the Kingdom of Pho was born, with some help from Vitali’s wife.

“One of the most important things for me is having a good partner, like my wife, Sarah,” Vitali said. “She constantly pushes me to do as much as I can. At the beginning we thought we’d only sell like maybe 14 bowls a day, but we do well over that amount. We haven’t had a negative day since we opened.”

Kingdom of Pho building — David George, EastIdahoNews.com

According to Vitali, “‘Pho is a healthy food option with lots of flavor. Most of the people that try it for the first time love it. People say they don’t really feel weighed down after eating a bowl of it.”

The recipe for pho Vitali uses come entirely from scratch. “There’s no cubes, paste or powders. We use all the normal spices: cardamom, cinnamon, bark, yellow rock sugar, coriander, cloves, lots of ginger.”

Visit the Kingdom of Pho on Facebook or its website.

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Idaho

Idaho Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 4 on March 1, 2026

Published

8 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The results are in for the Idaho Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on March 1.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 1 drawing

Day: 7-2-3

Night: 2-7-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 1 drawing

Day: 4-7-9-3

Night: 8-7-7-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Idaho Cash numbers from March 1 drawing

03-06-07-33-41

Check Idaho Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Idaho Lottery drawings held ?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Pick 4: 1:59 p.m. (Day) and 7:59 p.m. (Night) MT daily.
Lucky For Life: 8:35 p.m. MT Monday and Thursday.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
5 Star Draw: 8 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Idaho Cash: 8 p.m. MT daily.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Idaho

Idaho politicians respond to Trump authorizing U.S military force in Iran

Published

2 days ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Idaho politicians respond to Trump authorizing U.S military force in Iran

On Saturday, the United States and Israel launched major strikes in Tehran, with President Trump calling for an Iranian regime change.

RELATED | Trump announces ‘major combat operations’ in Iran, reportedly killing hundreds

President Trump authorized the U.S military operation without congressional approval, a decision that Democrats in Congress are arguing is unconstitutional.

RELATED | Trump’s Iran attack raises legal concerns among Democrats in Congress

Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea says Democrats are “demanding answers and accountability on behalf of the American people, who are being dragged toward another open-ended war they do not support.”

Necochea says her greatest concern lies with American troops, contractors and civilians who she says “did not choose this conflict.”

“Idaho has thousands of active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, and military families who live with the consequences when leaders make reckless choices,” she says.

However, not all lawmakers share Necochea’s sentiments.

Idaho Republican representative Mike Simpson commends President Trump’s “decisive action” in Iran.

Idaho News 6

“Iran was given every opportunity to resolve this peacefully through negotiations but chose not to,” Simpson said in a post to Facebook. “I commend President Trump for taking decisive action against a regime responsible for decades of terror. May God protect our men and women in uniform on this vital mission.”

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Idaho

Town Hall to address future of Medicaid expansion in Idaho – Local News 8

Published

2 days ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Town Hall to address future of Medicaid expansion in Idaho – Local News 8

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Nearly two-thirds of Idaho voters approved Medicaid expansion, but local leaders say that coverage is now at risk.

According to the organizers of a town hall set for Saturday, February 28, proposed changes could severely impact Idaho’s rural hospitals and leave thousands of residents without access to healthcare.

The town hall, titled “Protecting What Works: Medicaid Expansion in Idaho,” will take place at Chubbuck City Hall from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

A panel of representatives from across the healthcare sector — including home health, hospitals, and public and community health — will answer questions about how Medicaid expansion works in Idaho and how potential cuts could affect communities. Organizers say there will also be time for audience questions.

One of the event organizers told Local News 8 why the discussion is important:

“There have been conversations in the last couple of legislative sessions about either fully repealing Medicaid expansion or making significant cuts to Medicaid,” Shantay Boxham, the organizer, said. “This is an educational forum to ensure voters and community members have the information they need about what the program is, what’s at stake, and how it supports Idaho and Idahoans.”

There are limited seats available for the meeting. To reserve a spot, visit members.pocatello.com.

Local News 8 will continue to follow this story and have updates tomorrow.

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