Thai cuisine has been on the rise in recent years. The Netherlands now has about 200 Thai restaurants. Given the excellent reviews of Sukanya Thai Restaurant, the editors have asked me to post about this and of course I am happy to comply.
In this time of economic malaise, it may also serve as a source of inspiration for all enterprising Thai ladies and their male spouses here in the Netherlands.
Some Thailand bloggers will undoubtedly remember that my wife Sukanya started a Thai take-away restaurant two years ago in my former office building of approx. 50 m2. My wife, with whom I have been happily married for 10 years now, was born between the pots and pans, so to speak.
As a young girl of 12 she already worked with her brother in her aunt's restaurant in Bangkok. Aunt Lee, a renowned top chef, who has received various nominations from the Thai government for her cooking skills, has therefore introduced her to Thai cooking.
I always told her if you want to work as a cook here in the Netherlands, do it for yourself. But start small first and go for quality and cook authentic Thai food. My office building, located in the shopping center of Dieren, was extremely suitable for this in terms of location. A relatively low rent - direct parking - and no other Thai restaurants within a radius of 10 km.
As a tax specialist, I don't need much more than a desk, a PC and a telephone and I don't necessarily need to have an office in a shopping center. Well, apparently I'm a romantic, my wife happy, me happy too. So the decision was made quickly.
The emphasis was first on takeout, but that changed over time. Customers increasingly preferred to eat in the restaurant, but with such a small floor space you quickly get full and it is really time to look for something bigger. The choice to go for quality and authenticity has certainly contributed to this and this is also evident from the following:
Sukanya is one of the few Thai restaurants in the Netherlands to have a TRA quality mark, an initiative of the Thai embassy to promote and guarantee the authenticity of Thai cuisine here in the Netherlands, so that the customer can also be assured that he /she is served authentic Thai food and the food is also prepared by Thai chefs.
A mention in IENS-Toppers 2013 and an excellent rating from more than 2075 restaurants in the province of Gelderland, where Sukanya is listed in a shared 10rd place in the top 3 best restaurants (www.iens.nl/restaurant/gelderland) and that is very special for such a small restaurant in a village like Dieren.
We first had the intention to move to a larger place such as Arnhem, Nijmegen or Apeldoorn. A restaurant with about 35 to 40 seats and a terrace. However, after looking at various restaurants, we became more and more convinced that we should not move to another place.
After all, it takes years before you have built up some brand awareness and a regular customer base, and that is no different in a larger town, with perhaps more competition. We believe that when you serve delicious food in a beautiful ambiance, the customers really come, even if they have to drive a bit.
We believe we have found this ambiance in our newly opened restaurant. It is a large and unique building with beautiful stained glass windows. The decor is chic, but also warm and atmospheric. The restaurant area has more than 70 comfortable seats. It has a spacious kitchen and pantry annex storage space.
We also have a separate room that can accommodate about 50 people, with walnut wall cabinets and a fireplace. A beautiful side and rear terrace, with pond (approx. 120 seats). And finally, an upstairs apartment with its own entrance, equipped with two luxurious bathrooms and a whirlpool bath.
In short, a perfect location, where we can house both our business activities.
Given the size of the building, the location is also ideal for weddings, parties, workshops, receptions, meetings and other festivities.
The festive opening will be in the first week of March. Unfortunately, the exact date is not yet known, because it has yet to be determined according to Thai customs.
Sukanya Thai Restaurant, our new home as of March 1, 2014: Wilhelminaweg 57 in Dieren (Gld.).
A great performance from the two of you, Fred! Congratulations!
Of course I remember those stories from 2011 and 2012, but I only looked them up in the archive this morning. How you started, what problems arose, etc. Nice to read again.
The photo certainly invites you to visit, I would like to see some more photos and maybe even a video. Good luck on your way to the opening in March and of course beyond.
It does indeed look nice. It's a pity that Koewacht is a short distance away, otherwise I'd definitely drop by. The nearest Thai restaurant is in Axel, about 9 km away. Name Andaman, with nice owners. Please come there. Good luck with your new restaurant.
Hope this comment gets through; because it's starting to look like chatting. Please answer your questions. As far as I know there is no Thai restaurant in Schoondijke anymore. In East (you mean St. Jansteen) that takeaway restaurant still exists, but I doubt whether they still deliver for Dow. I don't get to the other side, as we call it, in Kouwekaarke. It takes fifteen minutes to pedal and we then have to go through the tunnel with a toll of 10 euros. Easier to drive to Antwerp. There are also a few good Thais and after that the city is more pleasant than in Kouwekaarke, for sure.
Commercial spirit is in the Dutch but certainly in Fred and his wife. Once again good luck6.
Google Wilhelminaweg 57 Dieren and Streetview will give you a nice picture of the building in which the new restaurant will be located. It is now called De Pastorie.
Here's a little explanation from Fred:
They call it the Pastorie, but it was a Protestant Reformed church, built in 1937. The upstairs apartment and the hall, to my knowledge, served as a parsonage. It was used as a church for twenty years, then as a school, as a community center and around 2000 as a restaurant, where they spent a fortune on the restoration. The property is privately owned.
Memories of Asia is located at Velperplein in Arnhem, and has been for years. I think the old owner started Just Memories in Dieren, in the mentioned location. Formula was the same as in Arnhem and has/had a good reputation. This one therefore stops and returns to this restaurant as Thai. Congratulations on this special location.
We will definitely come to eat with you.
Living in Duiven, so close by but never knew that there is such a good Thai in Dieren.
See you soon!!!
Dear Fred, Looks fantastic and would like to wish you lots of success. It's quite a step from a takeaway restaurant to a mega restaurant in this day and age, respect! A critical note because I also come from this industry… Don't you get into terrible problems with waiting times when that terrace is full on a beautiful Sunday afternoon? 120 people Thai fresh cooking is quite a bit with various dishes that will be ordered (I think of the number of cooks needed and the number of gas burners to take an example). As a final question, dear Fred, how many male/female personnel will you start with?
hi fred,
Congratulations on this noteworthy success. We have finally had a small Thai takeaway restaurant here in the Zaan region for a year and a half, but I will certainly make the effort to visit your nominated restaurant for a more extensive dinner and I would like to spend an hour driving for it.
You can be proud for a reason!
Steven SP
Gentlemen, also on behalf of my wife, thank you for the congratulations. It is indeed, as Gringo described, not all smooth sailing. In addition to knowledge and skills, you must be willing to work hard for it, have faith in your concept (angel patience) and of course you must be allowed, because in my opinion those are the ingredients for success. By awarded, I mean a dose of luck. The happiness that people see something in you and trust you.
The current owner is not the old owner of Memories of Asia, but the manager and his wife. They are very nice people and now very good friends of ours. Contrary to assumptions, they don't stop for economic reasons, but because of his wife's health.
I have been familiar with the hospitality industry for 25 years and physically for 2 years now. So I have plenty of examples of what you absolutely should not do. and that includes taking on too many staff. I also have no illusions that we will get all the seats occupied right away, that takes time. In the start-up phase, it is important to keep a close eye on your costs and therefore not to enter into too many obligations
.
The furnishings and inventory are in new condition. In addition to some Thai accents, we are not going to change much about the interior. Where there are now parking spaces (when you are standing in front of the building, on the left) a terrace with espalier trees will be laid out, with a low hedge in front of it. Now you drive past it, without realizing that there is a restaurant there.
Before the opening (probably March 6, 2014), the restaurant will be consecrated by 5 Buddha monks. The festive opening will be in the evening. The exact date and time will of course be announced.
Fred, I wish you the best of luck with the new restaurant. It won't be your wife's cooking skills. Last summer I had a delicious meal with you, together with Khun Peter and Kan. First outside and then sat inside because of the rain.
I look forward to a nice report of the opening. I won't be able to be there, until the end of April my daily life takes place in Thailand.
hello with peter in nijmegen. I, the undersigned, have taken note of the new opening in March 2014 and in life and well-being I will certainly be there to celebrate the joyful event with the invited guests, whether or not Thai of origin. when the weather is nice to sit outside and eat.greetings from me and see you later;;have fun..
Hello Sukanya and Fred,
Very, very good luck with your restaurant.
As I see it, in terms of decor, beautiful and very cozy, and the authentic Thai food, not the Dutch/Thai food, then success is assured. And if the staff also looks so beautiful, i.e. Thai clothing, you have made a world-class choice.
Keep us informed.
We go to the Netherlands very little, but when we go, we will definitely come by.
Immediately pass on your address to friends from Zaandam.
toy, toy,
LOUISE
Recently we also have a very good Thai restaurant in Uden with many tasty noodle soups on the menu.
Sawadee.