Quinn family on stage at the Emerald of Siam (From left to right: Ravadi Quinn, Billy Quinn, and Dara Quinn)
Some businesses are in it to make money, others are in it to make a difference. In the food service industry, margins are thin. Almost half of new restaurants close within the first five years, and an unexpected major expense can be a crisis that is impossible to survive.
The Emerald of Siam is one of those family businesses that is in it to make a difference in our community — something they have been doing for 43 years.
The Emerald is so much more than a Thai food restaurant. They are a gem of support, encouragement, and family that feels like home. They have helped musicians, artists, and other businesses in times of need. And now, they are facing one of those unexpected expenses that could mean the end of a legacy of service; they need to completely replace their kitchen hood system.
I talked with owner Dara Quinn about the issues they are facing. Here is our conversation.
Let me start by saying I know this must be difficult for you. You just had some major work done in January for some required electrical upgrades, and now this. Can you explain how this issue was identified and what is needed to get your kitchen in compliance with the requirements?
The kitchen hood has been in questionable shape for years, and we have made patches here and there. When it finally became unbearable for our professional hood cleaning company to do their job, they reported the condition to the fire marshal. To comply with code, a repair might have been possible; but unfortunately, the materials used on this old hood are outdated and the metal is too thin for the specific welds necessary to fix the problem. Also, we cannot install a new unit in the existing space because the location itself is not compliant with code requirements. So, we need to install a new hood in a different location with new gas lines and a new fire suppression system.
That sounds like a lot of work. Are there any other options you’ve considered?
Other options would be relocating, closing the restaurant, or getting a loan. Financially, the burden on us with this size of a loan would be too great of a financial risk, as we are already riding a fine line, as small restaurants do. Materials, groceries, and labor costs have been rapidly increasing, and the struggle is real. We had a city mandated electrical upgrade earlier in the year that had already put us in the hole from having to close for two weeks, and to add another loan for a new hood system would be detrimental to the life of the business.
I know you don’t own the building. Does that make funding repairs and upgrades like this more complicated? Have the owners been able to help?
It is a bit of a complicated situation. We have [had] decent rent for many years now. Our landlords were gracious enough to finance the recent electrical upgrade, but asking for help on the hood would surely raise our rent to unsustainable levels. The hood is industry specific to our business, so it does not technically add value to their building.
Most of our readers already understand what the Emerald means to our community, but for those who don’t know, remind us of the history of the restaurant, the music venue, and what it means to you as the business owner.
In 1983, my mother and aunt opened The Emerald as the very first Thai restaurant in the Tri-Cities. My mom wanted to share the wonderful food and culture of Thailand with the community. She created a very welcoming atmosphere, befriended many of her customers, and has been generous from the start with community events and fundraisers. My brother and I took over in 2011 and put in the music and night life aspect of the venue. We have been here 43 years, and I say that our food is better than ever. We have continued with Mom's MO of being a welcoming, inclusive cultural oasis (with great Thai food) here. We have sponsored countless art exhibits, musical performances, various fundraisers and events over the years. It's a really special gathering place.
You’ve asked the community for help, and I know that isn’t always an easy thing to do. But in just a few days, the number of people pitching in has been remarkable. It is obvious that the Emerald means a lot to this community. How does that make you feel? Can you give me a few examples of what people tell you about their experiences, or why the Emerald is so important to them?
This fundraiser is really for the community. It's for my 29 employees to keep their jobs. To me, losing the Emerald would hurt like losing a family member. [T]his is a really special place. But in reality, if I lose the Emerald, life will go on and I can pursue other interests (I have many!). But for the Emerald to disappear, there will be more of a loss than just a business. The community would lose a small venue that supports live music to the fullest, giving a place for young upcoming artists to play, musicians a place to co-mingle, and a great warm venue for touring artists to have an amazing Thai meal and share their art with the locals.
Over the years, we have had proposals and weddings here, we have had birthdays, wakes, Christmas parties. We have multiple generations [of families] become our regulars. We've had customers whose first experience here was literally in utero who are now bringing their kids to eat here.
People have said to me: "Thank goodness you are here so I don't have to move to a big city!" From travelers and people who relocate here, I've had comments that our venue reminds them of places in Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and beyond.
Ted, we have been receiving such an outpouring of love not only from our regular customers who will miss the Thai food, but also local musicians who always have a place to play, fellow local businesses who know the struggle, and even fans from afar — touring musicians and customers who have moved away. I think we’ve even heard from strangers who like our story. It is really beautiful and heartwarming. I am so grateful.
The GoFundMe campaign goal is $100k. What would that cover? Are you able to start on this work without the full amount?
$100k is a number calculated with a breakdown of $45k for the hood, $20k for gas, fire, and other construction, food loss $5k+, wages lost $15k, loss of sales $25k+. We have already been working with Jacobs & Rhodes, and an engineer for the project, and now we are just making sure we have the funds. If and when we get to 50%, maybe we could see that as a green light to order the materials and schedule the project. I think it all just depends on the pace that funding comes in because we really need the full amount to make it through.
What is the timeline for the kitchen hood replacement? Will you have to close the restaurant for the work?
As of this moment, we have not been given a concrete deadline, but we know that the fire department and city would like to see that the project is in progress, and that we continue to work towards the goal. We will have to close for a minimum of one week to complete all the construction, which probably means about two weeks so that we have time for cleanup and any other changes that have to accompany the moving of the hood.
What else would you like the community to know?
We are grateful for 43 years of service to the Tri-Cities, and we love LOVE our customers and the wonderful people here. This fundraiser is for our patrons, and we are doing what it takes to make it possible for us to stay open. Thank you for any contribution; this is for you.
Thanks, Dara. I know this community will step up to help.
If you value what the Emerald of Siam does for our community and have the means to do so, make a donation to their GoFundMe campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-future-of-the-emerald-of-siam
More importantly, if you value local art and music supported by local businesses, visit those venues for food and entertainment. Local small businesses depend on our community to survive.
