11/01/2026
Before we knew it, the first of November arrived. We’ve just passed the night where we gained an extra hour of sleep, marking the end of Daylight Saving Time once again. The weather has turned cooler, and we now find ourselves in November—the final month of autumn—before winter returns.
Yesterday, Halloween fell on a Saturday for the first time of Thai Table, creating a rather unique atmosphere. I hope everyone enjoyed the day with family and friends, engaging in wonderful activities that recharged their spirits.
It has become a tradition that, as winter approaches, people around us often ask, "How many winters have you spent in Michigan?" Before we knew it, this has somehow become our "fourth" winter here.
Each experience has felt remarkably different.
The first time—back in 2023—we arrived in America on Christmas night. Everything felt incredibly exciting; the beautiful lights adorning every home didn’t just illuminate the front yards—they lit up our hearts as well.
Although we had encountered snow in Japan and Russia five to seven years prior, the snow that day in GR felt exceptionally beautiful to us.
We spent that first winter adjusting and getting to know our new surroundings, all while preparing for the hard work that would go into opening our shop. We escaped to Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida—a state with an atmosphere that makes us feel right at home in Thailand.
During our first winter, "Thai Table" wasn’t yet in operation. By the second winter, we had already been open for four months. For the first half of December 2024, we employed four servers, a chef and prep staff all four in the kitchen; by the second half of the month, we added another server to the team. Contrary to what people told us—that opening a restaurant would mean never being able to go anywhere—we found that with decent management, there are still opportunities to travel.
Not only was December 2024 our best-performing month of the year (well, we were only open for four months!), but we also managed another trip to Florida—this time to Tampa.
That winter also served as a serious training ground for driving in the snow, far more intensive than our limited experience the previous winter.
Even now, as winter approaches, people still frequently ask us, "Have you ever driven in the snow?"
Our third winter brought a mix of emotions. While the first was marked by excitement and the second by a growing sense of ease, the third felt like a period of significant personal and professional growth. December 2025 set a new record for our highest monthly sales, yet February 2026 became our lowest-performing month since we first opened. It was also during this time that we faced "whiteout conditions"—driving when visibility is reduced to practically zero—a situation that caught us off guard, perhaps because, back in Thailand, we were never in the habit of checking the weather forecast before leaving the house.
In 2025, the restaurant navigated through a particularly difficult period in the middle of the year. Starting in July, our front-of-house staff was reduced to just three people, and by September, that number had dropped to two. Fortunately, our kitchen team remained fully staffed, which allowed the two of us to keep the restaurant running smoothly every single day. By the end of December, we had managed to rebuild our front-of-house team to five members—and to top it off, we hit a new all-time sales record in December 2025.
As we approach our fourth winter—and the third winter for Thai Table—we are proud to have five staff members who have been with us for a year or more. This is a significant achievement for us; we have always strived to make this a place where people genuinely want to work—a space where every team member can reach their full potential and find joy in their daily work.
Looking ahead to 2027, we likely won’t be taking our usual annual vacation. Instead, we’ll be working hard throughout the upcoming winter to prepare for a major, pivotal step for both of us and the entire Thai Table team. We’ll soon have some big, exciting news to share regarding our plans for 2027—stay tuned, it’s going to be something special!
Before that, we have another piece of great news to share: in mid-December, we will be joined by two top-tier Head Chefs, both coming to us from five-star hotels in Thailand. This guarantees that we’ll be introducing new, exclusive special menus for you to enjoy. Furthermore, we already have five or six talented chefs lined up and ready to join us; combined with Mimi’s boundless creativity, our restaurant is sure to become an even more exciting place.
All of this is to ensure that every single bite of every dish you experience here... It is authentic Thai food, through and through.
Wishing you all a wonderful final month of fall!
