A love of cooking, serving and making people happy inspired Ann Riensin to open her Pad Thai Restaurant in 2016. Her cozy, newly renovated space with eight dine-in tables and completely remodeled outdoor patio are ideal to enjoy unique dishes made with the freshest ingredients.
“I have always loved taking care of people and making them happy. Starting a new business was important to me because I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and strong desire to do business. I thought a good way to do this would be to open a restaurant,” she says. “We bought Pad Thai in 2016 and began our journey creating a business making people happy through good food and great service.”
From the moment you walk in the door at Pad Thai you’re welcomed by friendly staff who make you feel at home. The environment is very welcoming with modern decor that is fresh and vibrant with lots of windows letting in natural light. The food is a unique spin on traditional Thai dishes that reflect her style and taste.
“This spring we will have five new fresh cocktails and two new dishes; Kai Jeaw Moo Wan, which is marinated sweet pork served with Thai street omelet, and Classic Thai Fried Rice with Moo Tod, which is marinated fried pork,” she says.
She expressed that COVID has hit her business and family life hard and has presented a huge challenge. She is thankful to still be in business. Her ability to adapt has benefited her, and her loyal customers.
“We quickly went to delivery, take-out and curbside only with no indoor dining for four months and were able to keep all our staff busy switching roles slightly to make everything work and everyone employed,” she says. “Once we found out we could start to open to outdoor dining we did a complete remodel of our patio to welcome customers to a quaint space that feels safe and comfortable. Before we found out we could start to have 50 percent dine-in capacity we decided to remodel the inside of the restaurant to create a fresh feeling to welcome our customers back. We have continued to offer curbside, delivery and take-out, and hope to be able to get back to full capacity soon.”
She and her staff look forward to being able to smile at customers and give hugs, and in the meantime, she has launched a concept where she is offering a new line of products called J’Ann, that will allow anyone to cook fresh Thai food at home like a professional chef.
That sounds like a delicious idea!
Visit padthaiop.com for more information and menu or call 913-685-4500. Pad Thai is located at 14319 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, Kansas.
