Thai Express Brings Authentic Quality to Asian QSRs

We’re true to our roots, and customers respond with loyalty

Thai Express™ is founded on one idea: to provide authentic, delicious Thai food experience using the highest-quality, fresh ingredients possible. Since 2004, Thai Express franchise we’ve been delivering on that idea one customer at a time.

When it comes to ethnic cuisine, customers respond to authenticity. Perhaps that’s why Thai Express exploded across Canada, opening almost 300 locations in just 13 years. That’s also why we’re duplicating that rapid expansion in the United States. In fact, just a few months into our brand’s U.S. efforts, we’ve got more than a dozen restaurants in the works.

“We just started the process of bringing this powerful QSR brand to the United States, and already the response has just been phenomenal,” says John Wuycheck
Senior Vice President of Development for Kahala Brands™, which operates Thai Express in the U.S. “We opened the first restaurant in the Mall of America® in Minneapolis last month, and we’re on track to open more than a dozen this year alone. This just proves what we already thought about Thai Express — it’s a remarkable brand with amazing potential.”

Founded in 2004, Thai Express took Canada by storm. Tapping into a powerful demand for an authentic, fast and affordable Thai experience, Thai Express has exploded in popularity in Canada to become not just the top Asian QSR in the country, but also one of the most recognizable restaurant brands in the nation. Bolstered by the support and leadership of franchise giants MTY GroupTM and Kahala Brands™, Thai Express is entering the United States market where the demand for Thai food has been rising for years, and we’re delivering authenticity in three key areas — food, experience and value.

Authentic dishes are popular with diners

Thai Express’s menu is built around a handful of authentic Thai dishes, such as Pad Thai and curry. These dishes are prepared fresh, using traditional Thai seasonings and spices, with the highest-quality ingredients possible.

“The food at Thai Express is unlike anything else available in fast food or fast casual dining,” John says. “Our branded restaurants prepare the dishes fresh, cook them right there in front of the customer, and they use only real, authentic Thai spices. That sets us apart from every other franchise restaurant. And it sets us apart in the world of Thai food, as well, where Thai is normally a sit-down meal in a table service restaurant.”

Customers who are used to dining in one of the hundreds of mom-and-pop fine dining Thai restaurants in America will recognize our Pad Thai, and they’ll appreciate our curry. In fact, we’d stack Thai Express dishes against some of the best Thai food available in America today.

We also deliver a cultural experience

A frequent comment heard in Thai Express locations is some version of, “This isn’t like any other fast food restaurant I’ve been to.” That impression begins at the door where, thanks to our brand’s designers, the Thai heart and Thai experience begins to emerge.

“Every location of Thai Express is instantly recognizable as a Thai Express, but each one is fundamentally unique,” John explains. “That’s because we custom-design each restaurant to take the requirements of the location — square footage, entryways and other factors — and merge them with traditional Asian design techniques, such as feng shui.”

The result is a restaurant that encourages visitors to sit, enjoy their meal and soak up the atmosphere. And about that Thai heart — every dish is prepared with love and in service to the ideals of hospitality and graciousness that permeate the Thai experience.

Great food doesn’t have to mean expensive meals

Customers dining out are looking for three things: quality, consistency and value. Thai Express delivers on all three fronts, and customers notice.

“We hear it time and again, when customers pay their check and then see the meal they get in return,” John says. “They’re blown away by the quality, the flavor, even the presentation. And when they see how much they’ve received for what they paid, they take note — and they come back.”

This value is made possible because we pay incredible attention to food costs and portion control. The recipes are crafted so that there is little to no waste, and because we prepare food as it’s ordered, we avoid costly over-preparation, as well. These savings get passed on to the customer, who comes back again and again.

Be the first to market with your own Thai Express

Bring Thai Express to your community, and you can experience firsthand the value of the Thai Express customer relationship — a loyal clientele, a tested product and brand, and a proven system — all part of what makes Thai Express a great opportunity.

Investment costs range from $370,900 to $832,700, depending on the model you choose and location costs, which make Thai Express a remarkably affordable entry into a potentially huge growth market. Learn more about owning a Thai Express today.