Crime News

Break-in temporarily shutters treasured Thai restaurant in Richardson

We need to get them back open so we can be slurping this soup.

Photo courtesy of Thai Soon

A treasured Thai restaurant in Richardson has had to close temporarily due to the damaging aftermath of a burglary: Thai Soon, located at 101 S. Coit Rd., suffered a break-in over the weekend that included one of the doors being broken and an outright theft of the cash register.

Coming on the heels of a difficult period in which COVID-19 had already taken its toll, the burglary rendered it impossible for the restaurant to open for business.

To help the restaurant get back on its feet, the owner's brother has launched a gofundme in an attempt to "make the restaurant whole again."

"Hi Everyone, My name is Arm Wongchingchai and I'm Irean's brother, she is the current owner of Thai Soon," he says. "Some of you may remember the first and original location on Greenville Avenue once managed by my mom she was also known to many locals as Ma Soon. For the last decade we have moved from that location to North Dallas due to the high cost of rent. My mom has since retired and Irean took over."

"With this pandemic and many others it has affected the business negatively," he says. "Then over the weekend, burglars broke the glass door located towards the back of the restaurant. They stole the register and there was so much damage that my sister had to close the shop."

The restaurant also lost one of its chefs.

Thai Soon first opened in 1987 and built its reputation for flavorful noodle and vegetarian dishes from its early days on Lower Greenville — one that kept it afloat when it moved to Richardson. However, the pandemic has definitely hurt business, and they had to cut back on staffing. There was talk they might close in December until the fine residents of Richardson rallied 'round and stepped up their orders.

Wongchingchai says he felt like he had to launch the gofundme, because he knew it was something his sister would never do.

"Irean as many of you know would never ever ask for a hand-out so i'm doing this without her knowledge at the best of my ability for her business," he says. "With the funds we will do our very best to make the restaurant whole again and do a better job to try to deter thieves."

The restaurant was able to get its door fixed, and is still waiting on its POS system. They are able to take Zelle, Venmo, exact cash, or online orders.

The total of the gofundme is $5,000. If you want to contribute, click here.

closings charity

Boots & Booze

New Deep Ellum venue vows to win hearts with food, fun, and wedding chapel

Photo by Kathy Tran

The Window at Boots & Booze will serve Deep Ellum early morning through late night.

A new all-day hangout will soon bring comfort food and cocktails, a dog-friendly courtyard, live music stage, and even a whimsical wedding chapel to Dallas' Deep Ellum. Boots & Booze, a new concept from Dallas-based Wush Hospitality Group, will debut its first phase on Friday, October 23 at 3014 Main St., across the street from Terry Black's Barbecue.

The first phase includes The Window, a walk-up kitchen; The Courtyard, an outdoor bar and gathering space; and its signature Shotgun Wedding Chapel.

“This is meant to be a place where you can grab breakfast or coffee before work, bring your dog for the afternoon, meet friends for a drink, catch live entertainment or celebrate something completely unexpected,” Sherry Hazrati, co-founder of Wush Hospitality Group, says in a release. “You don’t need a special occasion to come here. We want people to feel welcome the minute they walk in.”

The Window will serve coffee and breakfast starting at 6:30 am on weekdays, with brunch beginning at 11 am on weekends. The menu, developed by Hazrati and the group's culinary team, changes throughout the day.

Breakfast options include the Crispy Potato and Egg Sandwich and Quick Shift Meals. Lunch brings the Golden Honey Chicken Breast Sandwich, Double Onion Chopped Beef Sandwich, Main Street Philly, and Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese. Dinner offerings include Hearty Chicken, Crispy Potatoes, and After Hours Potatoes.

Weekend brunch features Hot Honey Chicken French Toast and shareable brunch boards, along with lighter and gluten-free options.

The beverage menu includes coffee drinks, sodas, cocktails, wine, and beer, including a gluten-free option. One signature drink is the Cold Fashioned, a frozen take on the Old Fashioned made with Still Austin Whiskey.

Guests can grab to-go meals or settle into The Courtyard, which has a bar, stage, and flexible seating for everything from game-day gatherings to live entertainment and community events.

The Shotgun Wedding Chapel is a "playful” element, says the press release, which is not to say it isn’t a functional wedding venue for couples eager to tie the knot. The team expects ceremonies and other pageantry year-round inside Shotgun.

Sherry Hazrati Boots & Booze Sherry Hazrati and her Wush Hospitality Group are behind Deep Ellum's new Boots & Booze venue.Photo by Kathy Tran

Hazrati says the goal is to make guests feel welcome and give them a reason to return.

“We want people to leave remembering how we made them feel and come back because they feel like they belong," she says.

The group plans to expand the concept with Boots & Booze Scratch Kitchen, a full-service restaurant led by executive chef José Luis Rodriguez Perez, former owner of Dallas restaurant Mixtitos Kitchen. Details and an opening date have not been announced.

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