When Sabai Thai Street opened earlier this year in March, husband-and-wife owners Bill Spradin and Viradee Pissara were excited to bring an authentic Thai cuisine experience to an area of Orlando where they felt options were limited. When a second-generation restaurant space at 3333 S Orange Ave #105 opened up, they knew it was the perfect spot.
There were no other Thai restaurants within roughly a three- to four-mile radius, and it was the only Asian restaurant in the immediate area at the time. Spradin told What Now Orlando that the response from the community since the debut has been marvelous.
“The thing that makes us different and stand out is that we really do everything we can to stay true and authentic and traditional to the flavors and ingredients of Thai food, to pay it the respect that it deserves,” Spradin said.
The couple was inspired to open an eatery that paid homage to Pissara’s native home, where they met at her relative’s restaurant. She is originally from northeastern Thailand, coming from a family of farmers and chefs.
In 2022, they moved from Los Angeles to Florida to be closer to family. The change gave them the opportunity to embark on an entrepreneurial path with Sabai Thai Street.
“We had always talked about it, but it never was really the right timing,” Spradin said. “But we started really discussing, and everything lined up with the location, so we both agreed, ‘If we’re gonna do something, we should just do it now’.”
Although they initially expected the renovation to take about five months, the pre-opening process ultimately took almost 11 months. Spradin said the couple had to navigate permitting, engineering, design, and architectural work, but worked with a reputable contractor with previous restaurant experience who helped guide them through the phases.
Now that they have been in business for six months, the couple is focusing on building brand awareness during its first year through word-of-mouth, local partnerships, influencers, newspapers, schools, teacher associations, and other businesses.
Over the next five years, Spradin said the couple hopes to either move into a larger location or open a second restaurant. Potential future areas include Winter Park, Audubon Park, and Baldwin Park, as well as areas farther south where the restaurant could attract convention and tourism traffic.
