On July 1st, Thai Fresh at 8409 SE Division Street closed its doors after nearly 15 years. Owners Vong Soutavong and Aroon Onchumchit made the difficult choice to cease operations after a series of events prompted the couple’s eventual relocation to Thailand later this year. HÂP Restaurant will move into the space, opening later this summer with startup help from the Thai Fresh owners.
Thai Fresh began in 2008 after Soutavong and Onchumchit lost their jobs. After a decade of employment, the company they worked for sold, leaving them searching for new opportunities. A family-run restaurant was an attractive option for the partners. However, they faced challenges getting started in a difficult economy. “We looked around for a couple of months, then we gave up because the rent and leases were so crazy expensive,” remembered Soutavong. He started working at another restaurant but kept an eye on available spaces. “One morning, I just looked at Craigslist and saw the ad for a price that we were looking for,” said Soutavong.
The storefront was appealing, with affordable rent, but the new restaurateurs were concerned that they may not thrive around existing businesses. “At first, we were scared because we looked around the neighborhood, and it was all Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants in that area. I was like, ‘Oh my God, we’ll be the only Thai restaurant,'” explained Soutavong. However, despite early concern, they signed the lease and began building their restaurant with Soutavong’s older sister, Khemphone, as the head chef. Even before opening, people from the neighborhood would offer encouragement for the new food option, affirming their decision to open on SE Division Street.
That early support from neighbors was essential to Soutavong and Onchumchit’s sense of community. They feel strongly that their business needs to offer more than food to neighbors. Since opening, Thai Fresh has supported numerous school fundraisers and educational events for students interested in business. The owners supported the formation of the Jade District and have catered many community events throughout the region. Their social impact in the area is nearly as well known as their freshly prepared food.
Despite loyal customers and a good reputation, they have faced many challenges. When Thai Fresh opened in 2008, the country was experiencing economic hardships, and people cut back on spending, including eating out. Even in that environment, the business took root and expanded into the neighboring storefront to add more dining space. The area grew in the first eleven years, and business was thriving. The pandemic nearly toppled that success, as it had for many restaurants. However, Thai Fresh survived shutdowns and closed dining rooms, again with the community’s support. Ultimately, Vong Soutavong feels the street reconfiguration of SE Division instigated his restaurant’s closure.
In 2022, the combined TriMet Division Transit Project and the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Outer Division Safety Project completed construction. These projects reconfigured much of the street, adding raised medians that prevent many left turns and protected bike lanes that substantially reduced street parking. Engineers removed Thai Fresh’s curbside parking and replaced it with a protected bike lane and two parking spaces between the bike traffic and the travel lanes. Thai Fresh guests must share those spaces with customers from the other businesses on the block. Soutavong observed a dramatic customer decrease after crews installed the raised medians and reduced the parking options. Although people may readjust to SE Division’s changes over time, waiting for that to happen was not feasible, making it time for the Thai Fresh owners to move on.
Vong Soutavong and Aroon Onchumchit will move to Onchumchit’s native Thailand to care for family and plan their next chapter in life. Chef Khemphone will retire knowing she held the highest standards for preparing fresh foods from scratch. That insistence on made-to-order cooking attracted many longtime customers with food allergies. Staff always considered any special request and could easily omit an ingredient to satisfy a guest.
The Thai Fresh owners are now helping the HÂP Restaurant staff prepare for a successful opening. Soutavong is already raving about HÂP’s food and the chef chosen for his steamed buns. “His job is to perfect that [dish] and trust me, he definitely perfected it,” remarked Soutavong. Over the last month, Soutavong and Onchumchit have repeatedly thanked their customers and business community for welcoming their restaurant and family into the community. They are sad to say goodbye to all their friends but remain optimistic about their coming adventure and the next chapter of life.
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