WHEATON – The former owner of longtime Wheaton restaurant Pad Thai Etc. is looking to open a new restaurant in May in the city's downtown.
Resident Chounphit Hatsady is set to unveil the eponymous Choun's Restaurant later this year at 226 W. Front St., which is owned by her husband, Lee Jackels.
Hatsady said she was excited to return to the Wheaton culinary scene after calling it quits at Pad Thai Etc. about two years ago.
"I still want to find something to do and get together with friends and customers," she said. "Wheaton is just a nice place; everyone here is nice. I love living here."
Hatsady said the new restaurant would emphasize fresh food, with every sauce and ingredient made in house. Not only will the menu highlight the traditional Thai cuisine she spent 14 years cooking at her previous restaurant with ingredients unfamiliar to many, it also will include takes on a number of other foods like hamburgers and even tacos, with an emphasis on in-season ingredients.
Though the space is still under construction, her vision is of a well-decorated but casual environment adorned with a bar and televisions to make for a place where people can come after work or for a night on the town.
Hatsady, a regular vendor at the Wheaton French Market, said she was particularly excited at the prospect of opening her new restaurant as the city nears a decision to make a number of improvements around the downtown area, including new streetscapes, a permanent market structure and an outdoor plaza.
"It's a good thing for everyone; it's a good thing for the Wheaton people," she said.