Downtown Kelowna Thai restaurant closure is bittersweet
A beautiful Thai restaurant on the downtown Kelowna waterfront is closing its doors at the end of the month.
For co-owner of Thai Terrace, Luke Sumpantarat, the closure is bittersweet.
“We have been happy with our experience with the community and our product,” he said. “The past two years have been stressful and it will be nice for everybody to have a break.”
Sumpantarat and his wife, along with business partner Tik Pangathunad, opened the restaurant at 210 Lawrence Ave in May of 2018.
Sumpantarat said after COVID set the business back financially, the labour shortage and inflation of food and supply costs this year were too much to contend with.
This means the restaurant is opening for the last time on Oct. 30.
“I have been in the restaurant industry for fifteen years and it is getting to me and starting to affect my health,” he said. “There is not enough help and too many expenses.”
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Sumpantarat announced the closure on a Facebook post where he thanked the community, staff and customers for the support they received over the years.
He said they have been receiving a lot of feedback from regular customers expressing their disappointment over the closure.
“It has been overwhelming,” Sumpantarat said. “We really didn’t realize the community supported us so much.”
When asked what the most popular dish Thai Terrace created, Sumpantarat found it difficult to decide.
“I am guessing the Money Bags appetizers,” he said. “My thumbs are too stubby to tie the onions together. We are going to miss cooking and eating the food here.”
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Sumpantarat said he will be returning to the food industry to continue following his passion for cooking, but not until he takes a much-needed break.
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