“When we first opened Zaap, Thai food was not as popular in Leeds as it is now...People love coming here, this is what makes us think that all this effort was worth it. Happy customers are what is most important!” ask Greg how the unique concept came around, before it was opened to the public.
on working with one another, which Greg says goes a long way in satisfying paying customers.
“The design of the restaurant was inspired by the Thai street food markets of Bangkok. We knew that we wanted the concept of the restaurant to be based around Thai street food and we wanted to make it as close to reality as we could. We did our research and used our experience and we came up with designs and decorations that when combined create the authentic Thai street food market feel we were after.
“The main idea was Ban’s (Zaap owner and head chef), but the end result was a team effort. Everyone contributed with ideas and we tried different combinations before we ended up with the result.
“The tuk tuks, the signage, the open kitchen and even the marble tables are all a part of the Thai culture and they contributed in creating our unique interior.”
the Grand Arcade, Leeds brings all the wonderful experiences of a Bangkok street market to the UK, perfectly executed with creative decorations. Opened in 2015, over time the restaurant has grown in stature and implemented itself as one of the best street food experiences in Leeds. With this May marking the fourth year of Zaap’s inception, we were lucky enough to catch up with Marketing Manager Greg Callaghan. After seeing the impressive venue in the flesh, Wine & Dine Yorkshire was keen to
June/July 2019
In what will be Zaap’s fifth anniversary next year; up to this point the restaurant has only received positive reviews and accolades, a testament to the hard-working team. The staff have built up a healthy reputation for their helpful service and attention to detail, all contributing towards making the venue a friendly environment to dine in. Offering reasonable prices across the menu, the team are inviting and ensure they are as efficient as possible whilst working – something that has not gone unnoticed. Aside of the venue’s staff, the tuk tuk tables have become very popular, with the well thought-out theme being a big hit with customers! Zaap also prides itself
“Luckily people love it. Customers visit us and ask to sit in the tuk tuks. People love watching the kitchen work and be able to view their food being cooked. Kids of all ages love to visit us too, they leave their tables to go and play in the tuk tuk. These things are what make us think that all this effort was worth it. Happy customers are what is most important!” Located in Leeds, being just ‘one of many’ overseas restaurants was not something that appealed to the team at Zaap. Customers are spoilt for choice in the city when it comes to dining out, so back in 2015 prior to its opening, making a restaurant which customers would want to come back to was of paramount importance. With Indian and Chinese food being very popular in the UK, prior to Zaap’s opening the taste of Thailand had not fully caught the imagination of the paying British public. However, since Zaap opened, that pattern has slowly reversed with the venue being very popular in the area. Situated in an ideal central location, Zaap is known to get very busy with customers being appreciative of the theme and expertly
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