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Fast casual Thai concept gearing up for franchising

GAI NYC specializes in Khao Mun Gai, a chicken rice dish popular in Southeast Asia.

Photo: Gai

January 22, 2024 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Although the fast casual industry offers just about every cuisine imaginable, Chef Chat Suansilphong found it lacking a scalable Thai concept in the U.S. That need inspired him and his friends — Ace Watanasuparp, Alpha O Bah and Chatchai Huadwattana — to launch GAI NYC, which specializes in Khao Mun Gai, a chicken rice dish popular in Southeast Asia.

Since its 2019 opening, the brand has grown to four locations in New York City and has partnered with Vett3d, a franchising firm co-founded by Steve Lieber, who is also VP of Business Development of Florida-based BurgerFi and Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings.

"Franchising our Thai chicken and rice concept allows us to expand its reach and share our unique flavors with a broader audience," Suansilphong said in an interview with FastCasual. "There are not many Thai fast casuals in the US yet."

Lieber has high hopes for the brand, considering the menu was developed by Suansilphong, who moved to NYC from Thailand after working in his father's restaurant several years ago to study at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. In 2016, he opened Fish Cheeks, a full-service Thai seafood restaurant, and has brought his culinary expertise to the fast casual industry.

"Our mission is to revolutionize franchising, a sector that has seen little innovation in recent decades," Lieber told FastCasual. "We employ a distinctive approach based on what we call the '5 Pillars of Franchising' — excellent food and guest experiences, simplicity in operations, strong labor and inventory controls, continuous operational and marketing support and robust unit economics. "This methodology is currently aiding GAI NYC in its search for suitable franchisees, ensuring alignment with their fundamental principles."

Suansilphong said the franchising methodology combined with a menu featuring high-quality ingredients and authentic Thai recipes is a winning strategy.

"GAI NYC is proud to be the first scalable fast-casual Thai concept in the U.S., filling a niche for Thai cuisine in the fast-casual segment," said Lieber, who plans to focus growth in the Northeast and Southeast regions in 2024, followed by expansion into the Midwest and West in 2025.

"We stay adaptive and are always on the lookout for promising opportunities in various markets," he said.

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About Cherryh Cansler

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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