Thai Kitchen owner seeks help from BYU students

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There are six Thai restaurants in Provo, all fighting a losing battle against larger chain restaurants that wedge their way into local commerce.  Gulavadee Avans, owner of Thai Kitchen, is feeling the pressure, but preparing for the battle with the help of two BYU students.

A Thai immigrant and BYU graduate, Avans opened Thai Kitchen, at 283 E. 300 South, in 2006.  Though her career started in special education and led her to the East Coast, she eventually ended up back in Provo, eager to raise her two sons in a better environment.  Unable to find a job in her specialized field, she sought divine help.

“I decided to talk to Heavenly Father, and I did,” Avans said. “This place was on sale and everything fell into place.  I called on family members for help and together we bought this restaurant.”

[media-credit name=”Ali Kirk” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]
Gulavadee Avans took a leap of faith in buying Thai Kitchen in 2006.
Since this decision five years ago, Avans has worked tirelessly to make Thai Kitchen one of the best local places for Thai food. These efforts have been successful and business was steady, until recently.

“We were popular, but now things are slow,” Avans said.  “It’s slowed down so much in the past year.”

Avans credits this decline in business to the restaurant chains sprouting up throughout Utah Valley, a force not easy to reckon with as a small, local business.  Avans’ plight has been answered by Alec Smith and Braxton Excell, two BYU students determined to see her prosper in a tricky market.

Smith heard about Thai Kitchen from his German linguistics professor, a long-time patron of the restaurant. Smith, a junior from Kent, England, studying German linguistics, tried out the food and heard Avans’ story.  Smith felt compelled to help, a decision perpetuated by his own beliefs in local commerce.

“More and more you see all these chains popping up, besides McDonalds and Burger King,” Smith said. “They’ve all got the value menus and I think sometimes we’re too quick to worry about what’s cheap and quick, rather than what’s actually good or what these businesses are doing to support the community.”

Thai Kitchen’s support of local causes is easily one of its most distinctive characteristics. Beyond charitable contributions, Avans uses profits as a means to support her two sons on missions.

Excell, a junior from Iowa studying linguistics, grew up in a town where small business played a considerable role in the community, giving him firsthand knowledge of their importance.

“I’ve seen how much small businesses can influence the community around them,” Excell said.  “They’re involved in the school system and charities, it makes a difference and something you don’t get from the bigger chains. The church supports people who support themselves; it’s something we can all identify with.”

Smith and Excell have teamed up to help better Avans’ situation with simple but effective tactics.  Beyond heavily promoting the restaurant through fliers, word of mouth and social media, Smith and Excell are working to update the menu and atmosphere of the restaurant.  For Avans, the help of Smith and Excell is a much needed godsend, a help that aligns with the hopes she’s had for Thai Kitchen all along.

“I’ve always had a dream to improve the place,” Avans said. “It doesn’t have to be big or luxurious, I just want it to feel comfortable, like home.”

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