Niki and Tanya Pattharakositkul, the sisters behind 26 Thai, Pink Lotus and Blackjack Bar Tapas, have multiple concepts in the works for Atlanta. They recently announced plans to bring a new concept, Terminal 26, to Ponce City Market next spring. In a phone interview with What Now Atlanta, Niki shared that they have one other concept on the way to the city.
Khao Thai Isan will open in Centennial Yards near Mercedes-Benz Stadium in March or April of next year. Khao — which means “rice” in Thai — will focus on food from the northeastern region of Thailand.
While the menu is still in development, Khao Thai Isan will focus on tapas and emphasize its beverage element, which will be centered around beer and cocktails.
“We are trying to open before the World Cup, so we want to make it fun,” Niki said. “We will have live music out on the patio.”
The Pattharakositkul are both from Thailand and traveled to the U.S. for college. Niki said her goal with each new concept is to bring a new version of Thai food to the Atlanta market. While most people equate Thai food to Pad Thai and curry, Niki wants to showcase the diversity of Thai cuisine by exploring various regions with her menu.
The Pattharakositkul have aimed to accomplish this through their current brands. For example, Pink Lotus features a wide variety of Thai cuisine, aiming to stretch the options for Thai food in the Atlanta market. As they continue to expand to new restaurants, customers can expect to see even more variety moving forward.
“My goal is to push Thai food to the next level,” Niki said. “I think there are so many interesting types of Thai food.”
