HOLLAND TWP. — Siri Thai Kitchen on River Avenue in Holland Township has long been a hidden favorite of locals.
The restaurant at 301 N. River Ave. was once Rice and Spice before seeing new life in 2014. Since then, the eatery's weekly lunch buffets have been a hit. That is, until the restaurant went dark a couple of months ago.
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But the famous buffet wasn't gone for long. In fact, the business reopened a little over a month ago under a new name: 2 Dragons Cuisine. And it's under new ownership, too. Vonna Southavanh's parents, the owners of Siri Thai Kitchen, are planning to retire soon — and she's ready to take over.
"This has been a dream of mine and it's crazy to see it come true," Southavanh wrote in a statement to The Sentinel. "We've had a lot of friends and family help us throughout the process of opening up and without them, this couldn't be possible.
"We've been hearing nothing but positive feedback from the community — and thanks for motivating us even more."
Southavanh's parents are passing on the menu, and will eventually fully pass down the restaurant. The buffet still features diverse authentic Thai food from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
"We're happy and proud to be open again," Southavanh wrote. "Our customers from the previous ownership still stick with us and love coming here for the diverse food we have to offer."
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Jimmy Sok, formerly of Popeyes fame, now works along Southavanh at 2 Dragons. Sok is also the owner of food truck Takeout Takeover.
"Having both Takeout Takeover and 2 Dragons Cuisine under the same business umbrella should help both businesses out," Southavanh wrote. "We can't wait to see how this year is going to play out."
Just a few months ago, Sok was helping open Holland's first Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen near Holland Town Center. Why the move?
"At the end of the day, this was a good career change for me," Sok wrote. "I get to be around my best friends and support them and their dream while they're also supporting mine."
— Contact reporter Cassandra Lybrink at cassandra.lybrink@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Instagram @BizHolland.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Under new name, daughter takes over parents' Thai restaurant