Surin Thamwiwat teared up as she talked about saying goodbye to customers, many who she’s known for more than three decades.
“When I talk to customers and tell them we are closing they cry and then I cry,” said Surin, sitting next to her beloved husband, Santi Thamwiwat inside Thai Place Restaurant in Pine on Friday. “I am going to miss them. It was a tough decision. I loved cooking for them.”
The final of six Thai Restaurants the couple owns is closing Oct. 19.
The couple, both 80 and of O’Hara, decided it is time after 35 years. They’ve been working long hours for years and they had to navigate the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which they said has changed the restaurant industry.
In retirement, they plan to spend time with their two daughters Dr. Kanitta Charoensiri, director of Schiffert Health Center at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., and Susie Wilojanapa of O’Hara, their grandchildren, and take a cruise. They’ve enjoyed taking various cruises all over the world.
“It is time, but it’s bittersweet,” Wilojanapa said. “My parents are sad. So many people I have talked to over the years have said they have dined at one of our restaurants. My parents took a big risk and they were so successful because they love doing this. They wanted the restaurants to be a gateway for employees to have the experience to open their own restaurants, which some of them did. When we talked about closing, we didn’t want to just close the doors and be done. We wanted to have some time to say goodbye.”