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ManlyVanLee t1_j00v1xf wrote

Thai Express isn't even that good. There are plenty of local joints owned by local people that don't pay into a large chain's pockets. Go to those places instead

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WorldFoods t1_j016wor wrote

Thai Express is locally owned and operated. It’s not a chain. If you’re thinking of the chain, that’s why the owner Patrick officially renamed his business Simply Thai as he looks to open more locations in town. So the sign says Thai Express by Simply Thai. He was going to change the name completely but was afraid people wouldn’t recognize that it’s the same restaurant as the old Glenstone location.

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ehoneygut t1_j01gp48 wrote

Fun fact: Before Thai Express, there was Thai House on south Campbell. Essentially the same recipes, but in a bit fancier sit down setting. Patrick(the dad) They sold that to a local couple then promptly opened Thai Express and put them out of business.

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ehoneygut t1_j01gxhz wrote

Its not anywhere close to as good as Everyday Thai and I haven't been since they moved, but Thai Express has always been adequate to scratch the thai itch.

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patricknett t1_j0288qx wrote

Fact check:

  1. My mom (sole owner) sold the restaurant to a lady that worked for us, and her husband. Not my dad, he has never had a single percentage of equity in the restaurant. Thai House or Thai Express. It’s important to note because my mom died of stress from the restaurant, she deserves the credit and recognition of what she built. She employed my dad out of generosity, but I’d like to leave it at that. Personal family matters.

  2. We did not put them out of business. It was not what they expected it to be, too stressful and they wanted out. So Nipa Thai bought them out and came in. They went out of business, and I’m quite confident it had nothing to do with us.

The lady that bought out Thai House was very close to my mom, and my mom definitely told her she was going to open a more budget friendly thai restaurant across town. She knew this, and was ok with this.

And here’s a fun fact:

My mom worked for her for free for a few months to help make sure she was ok. She made sure transition was smooth, and did everything we could to keep the business booming. But the new owner just wanted out.

Last fun fact. Original owner of Rama Thai is the same lady that bought Thai House and is still using the majority of recipes. The Thai House purchase overall I’d say was a good purchase for her 🙂

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ehoneygut t1_j029j5n wrote

>my mom definitely told her she was going to open a more budget friendly thai restaurant across town. She knew this, and was ok with this.

I used to hang with them, and they definitely would not agree with this statement.

> Original owner of Rama Thai is the same lady that bought Thai House and is still using the majority of recipes.

She must have tweaked them pretty hard, because the few times I've had it, it hasn't been even close to as good as Thai House of Express.

Congrats on the move though. Looks like a good choice!

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patricknett t1_j02a2fc wrote

It’s 100% possible she tweaked them. And if she tweaked it for the better, that’s awesome. I seriously wish the best for them, and I think it’s cool if they can make a good product even better. I don’t know what you heard, but we definitely parted ways on good terms. Her husband, I forgot his name, used to babysit me. We connected because he played Magic Online, a card game I used to play. Its possible they were just being professional, and weren’t truly happy with the transaction. But we did not “take them out of business” and we did everything in our power to help a smooth transition.

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WorldFoods t1_j01rv8x wrote

I agree that there is better Thai food in town. But I love to support Thai Express because of how much Patrick does for the community and how he treats his employees.

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King_Elrod t1_j021bfs wrote

One of the best employers in Springfield and great food. Two good reasons to support Thai Express/Everything Thai

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