Wondering what you can do to be a bit more generous this holiday season? Perhaps you would like to challenge the ruling-authority of the corporate overlords? Look no further! Deenie gives you just the local business to support this holiday season to do just that. Follow along to read an interview with the small business owner of Royal Barge Thai Cuisine.
This year has been rough for everyone. The shut down of most places, a pandemic, many people not having work to support themselves. It's been rough. Small businesses don't get a lot of recognition, so we, at The Scroll, wanted to give them a little bit of the spotlight. Hopefully, you can find something new while reading this and you can learn a little bit more about a certain business here in Grants Pass.
Located between 6th and H street, Royal Barge Thai Cuisine is one of the lesser-known restaurants here in Grants Pass. This small business has been around for a little over 20 years and, although it may not be the talk of the town, the food and staff are definitely incredible. This family business is owned by a mother of two who came here from Thailand many years ago so, if you’re ever craving some Thai food, this restaurant is worth checking out.
I have owned this restaurant for 20 years now.
My favorite part about owning a restaurant is being able to make people happy and watching people enjoy the food that I make, as well as the fact that I get to cook. The atmosphere of owning a restaurant is amazing, as well. You truly meet some amazing people.
No, I never expected myself to own a restaurant. It was never really my plan when I came to the United States, but I came here a long time ago to marry my husband. He had this business and, little by little, the more years I worked there, the more I realized that this business is now part of me.
It didn't affect me directly necessarily, but it definitely affected my employees. It was hard at first but, because I live in a good community, a lot of people have been trying to help small businesses. I still feel bad that I can’t afford to keep my employees but, hopefully, later on, I can get them back. I truly appreciate all of them and the customers who are helping us get through this situation.
It wasn’t the easiest to handle. I had to limit and monitor a lot of expenses and it was a lot more work for me since I no longer had as many employees, but I figured out how to adjust as needed.
I had to lay off quite a few of them and it really turned into a family business. A lot of them were only working part time and one was about to retire. It made the decision of laying them off easier, knowing that all of them had other sources of income.
I just want to say to just keep fighting, even if you have to work harder than usual. Look for something new and never stop improving yourself to make things better. Be strong. Don’t give up.
