Kanjana and Ladzinski worked at the restaurant before taking ownership, Pat said, fulfilling Kanjana’s goal of owning her own business.
“She’s always worked for someone else,” he said. “It just came at the right time this year. ... That’s how we got started to kind of fulfill my wife’s dream.”
Pat, a veteran who served in the Air Force for 23 years before working as a defense contractor for 25 years, met Clark while living in Thailand and in 2013 the couple moved to Texas with their daughter, Jasmine. After purchasing the restaurant, the family, Ladzinski and several close friends worked for six weeks to renovate the interior before reopening in May, Pat said.
The new team also lowered menu prices as Clark and Ladzinski stepped into their roles as owners and cooks. Pat primarily manages operations and finances while Jasmine hosts and operates the restaurant’s social media and website.
“It’s a family affair, you might say,” Pat said.
While the menu has remained largely the same, the newly cleaned and renovated interior has vastly improved the business, Pat said.
“We like to hear that people walk in and say, ‘The place is clean; the food is good,’” he said. “That’s the way you do it, quality of food, service and cleanliness.”
The restaurant offers a 10% discount to all veterans, active-duty military personnel, senior citizens and first responders, Pat said. “My life has been the military; taking care of our folks is the most important thing to me,” he said.
In the next year, Pat said he hopes to see the restaurant continue to serve the community and incorporate more traditional dishes.
“Our goal is to complete our first year, which will be in May of next year, and then see how we do after that,” he said.
Thai Racha 263 Loop 337, New Braunfels. 830-620-5050. www.facebook.com/thairachanewowner
Hours: Tue.-Fri. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 5-9 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; closed Mon.
