Spicy Sugar Thai

Share the story of how your business started. How did the idea come about?  

I was groomed and inspired to be in the restaurant since I was child watching my dad Chef Tui, live his dream. So, after graduating with my MBA, I opened up Spicy Sugar in Long Beach in 2014 to bring my own spin of Southern Thai specialties to LBC. Though I had my own restaurant, I frequently came back to Hollywood to help my dad and Aunt Jazz at his world-renowned restaurant, Jitlada (estab in 2006). While Jitlada is a well-oiled machine and Spicy Sugar is my Pride & Joy, my family’s love of Thai food is what made this dream a reality.  

What goals did you set out to accomplish?  

My goal is always to leave our customers with a full belly and a smile. Of course, we want to be successful, but the most important and fun part of reaching this goal of success is seeing customers return and share our food with their friends and family. Even if it’s something like creating a new dish or giving our customers a memorable experience is always the goal. Seeing guests love our food is the best. 

Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently in building your business?  

Spending a bit more time on marketing for both businesses. We were so used to doing other things we didn’t realize we needed to invest more in our social media, pictures of our food, special promotions and things of that nature. 

Did you face any unique challenges along the way being a woman business owner/entrepreneur of color?  

Where do I start? It’s hard in general, especially when it comes to needing to have things fixed or purchased. I feel like sometimes people try to take advantage and I don’t think that it’d be the same if I were a man. It is a lot of work, there are many Thai restaurants that people can choose from and with a lot of things changing each generation it has been a huge shift in seeing the way the world views us on display. It has also been super beautiful in seeing the way the community has bonded together to make sure we all stand up together. I’ve formed many new friendships with other businesses and women of color and I’m not sure it would’ve been possible had things not happened the way they did. 

How have your business priorities and/or operations evolved?  

From the hiring and training of employees to keeping up with licensing, state regulations, I’ve had to have many sleepless nights. Especially with the ever-changing protocols it has been a huge challenge. Allowing extra time to support my staff, making sure my employees are safe and taken care of, dealing with longer wait times on a lot of necessary items. We really have to take every day as it comes and roll with the punches. 

What does success mean to you? Have you achieved the goals you envisioned?  

Success to me means seeing customers come into my restaurant and having a great experience. We all know what it feels like to leave a restaurant happy. Those are my goals and I work on them every day. Days that aren’t so great I figure out how to use it as a learning opportunity. Thankfully we have a lot of foodies that come to eat and help spread the word that our food is amazing. 

What do you still want to accomplish?  

At the moment no plans to open up more restaurants, but possibly other businesses in the future. As always, my long-term goals are to continue to grow my current business and find different outlets to share about Thai food. 

What role does your business play in your community?  

We treat customers like family so when they eat, they feel relaxed and like they’re at home with old friends. We also partner with other local organizations and businesses now and again for collaborations. We are involved with several charity events and we create some of our own. Raising money for the temple and student lunches in Thailand. We created t-shirts where all of the proceeds went to 3 organizations that are near and dear to our heart. 

How have issues in the community influenced your business approach?  

We partner with a lot of local and charitable organizations like No Kid Hungry and Skid Row. We also love cross-cultural fare too, like when we partnered with Meals with Genet for an Ethiopian/Thai food crossover and the proceeds went to the downtown women’s shelter. We continue to partner with local small businesses to uplift other women out here making things happen like Regarding HER, Influencers like JJayda on YouTube. We want to see us all win so we are trying to support each other as much as we can because at the end of the day, we’re all in this together so let’s help each other up! 

What does your business offer and to whom?  

Our business offers a unique Southern Thai based menu in both Long Beach and Thai town. The locals surrounding both areas come to try new dishes and branch outside of the Thai food they are used to, to try unique flavors.  

What problem is your business trying to solve?  

The problem of bridging the lack of diversity with bringing authenticity to it in our communities. We share our unique recipes through online classes to share with those who can’t come to our cozy corner of LA & LBC.  

What are three key characteristics or habits that have led to the success of your business?  

Patience, Education, Management Skills and the support of my loving family and friends.  

Oftentimes, a fear of failure can prevent us from taking risks to move forward. Can you recall a business challenge you were able to pivot into a growth opportunity and/or success?  

After my dad passed my world crashed and I was now partial owner of this famous restaurant he built. Dealing with the grief of that, running two businesses and being in a place with so many memories was a lot. There was so much to do and learn. My social life dwindled and I was bumping heads with my family on the necessary parts of running a business. Working with your family in a fast-paced environment can get pretty crazy sometimes. We are all so strong and independent but even when we fight, we find a way to meet in the middle, laugh, and hug it out. 

The pandemic has shifted the way many businesses operate. How has your business adapted to changes in consumer behaviors? Have you found any silver linings?  

I work hard staying late to make the curries and cover when our employees need a day off. We try to do our best and provide equal opportunity to everyone that works with us and treat them fairly. We fought hard to keep everyone’s job when the pandemic hit and we were successful even if we had to restructure things. Leading with grace has been the silver lining. 

Where and how can people support your business (i.e., location, website, social media):  

They can come visit Spicy Sugar at 1538 E Broadway in Long Beach. Or follow us on IG @SpicySugarThai. If they’re in the Hollywood area, they can come visit us at Jitlada at 5233 1/2 W. Sunset Blvd. You can also follow us on IG @JitladaLA order merch and some Jazzy Sauce at www.JitladaLA.com  

What advice would you give to other women of color who are thinking about starting a business?  

Always do your best and keep going. There will be many obstacles along the way and super hard days. Find something small to brighten up your day and keep working on yourself. Remember at the end of the day you are working to improve for you and not anybody else. Be proud of yourself every day and find new ways to encourage yourself. 

Building the right team can be a challenge. What do you look for when hiring?  

We look for someone that is excited about being on our team and loves hospitality. Finding new hires for Spicy Sugar was a bit easier because I look for outgoing people who can follow our protocols, recipes, and give our customers a happy experience. It is challenging at Jitlada because for so long it has been a family run business and we all pitched in to help out. So, finding servers and chefs who know the food with southern nuances is a challenge. 

What are some essential qualities of a good entrepreneur/business owner?  

I definitely use several things because managing two locations in two different areas of LA County has shown me the importance of time management, finding the right team players, and developing others that can take on a bit more. As it stands, I work in every position when needed and I manage every part of the business including day to day operations and administrative duties and while it is a lot, The best part is seeing guests that love our food and the employees enjoying working in our restaurant. You just have to stay strong, resilient and be willing to do everything it takes.