After a roughly 10-month break, a local Thai food institution is open again.
Chan’s Thai Kitchen closed to little fanfare but much wailing and gnashing of teeth in January as the owners took a hiatus to focus on themselves, and decide what the future of the restaurant would be.
The popular restaurant quietly reopened earlier this month and is again serving food at the same Auke Bay location it has occupied for more than two decades.
“We were pretty quiet about reopening,” said co-owner Curtis Hopson in a telephone interview. “We wanted to ease into the new system.”
Chan’s will have all of the old favorites but trimmed down, and now in a takeout-focused setting. The menu will still include popular dishes such as cashew chicken, pad thai, and spring rolls.
The restaurant itself will no longer offer table service.
That cuts down on dishes to be washed, one of the largest time sinks in the old format. The restaurant will also be operating on more limited hours. Chan’s will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 5-8 p.m.
“We’re cutting down on the menu and that helps,” Hopson said.
With the new, leaner menu and the more takeout-oriented process, the restaurant will be less labor intensive for Hopson and his wife, Chan, a major factor in the decision to take a break and reevaluate.
So far, Hopson is pleased with the changes, even if running a two-person shop is still pretty busy.
“It’s just me and my wife again. We have a lot of hats to wear,” Hopson said. “I’m glad we did the soft opening.”
Hungry yet?
Chan’s doesn’t have an official website, Hopson said, but they’ll do their best to update everyone about major changes through their Facebook.
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
