Restaurateur Q&A with Justin Dick and Pat Chitlungsei
R
unning a restaurant is not for the weary. It requires a lot of passion, people skills, food finesse and time. Two successful Sandpoint restaurateurs – Justin Dick, 34, of Trinity at City Beach, and Sudarat “Pat” Chitlungsei, “in her 50s,” of Bangkok Thai Cuisine – credit the influence of their family for getting them started in the restaurant world. Dick grew up in Denver, Colo., and learned a great deal of professional skills from his parents, Mel and Claudia Dick, owners of Trinity before Justin took over six years ago. Dick said he was influenced by both his mother and father in different ways before jumping into the business, and he credits their perspectives on management, marketing and more. Chitlungsei is from Thailand and learned much of her restaurant and cooking skills from her grandmother and her sisterin-law, who owns a Thai restaurant in New York. Chitlungsei said it is Thai heritage that women learn to cook.
Eats
& Drinks
Serving Sandpoint
–B.H. PHOTOS BY BETH HAWKINS
JUSTIN DICK
124
SUDARAT “PAT” CHITLUNGSEI
Hours worked each week?
80 plus
About 55
Favorite thing about running a restaurant?
The relationships I’ve built with the customers and the employees.
Meeting people. I love to talk with people, and I love the interaction.
What is the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge is maximizing the efficiency of the facility to keep up with the demands of a growing business.
Managing people. I have good employees who have become friends, but there are tough times, too.
Favorite dish on the menu?
Prime rib
Curry. Customers say we have the best curry … and peanut sauce – that’s our highlight.
What season do you love best in Sandpoint?
Fall is my favorite season. We start to slow down from the craziness of the summer, and I make up for lost time with my wife and children and just enjoy the town at a slower pace.
Both (winter and summer), actually. I love the snow. When I go to Bangkok, I miss Sandpoint.
Advice for someone who is thinking about opening a restaurant?
Try to gain as much experience in as many industry positions as possible prior to making that decision. When you do make the decision to open a restaurant, you will find that you will have to wear every hat. The glamorous and romantic idea of having a place to entertain friends and dine on the finest quality food and beverage is often squelched by the reality of plunging toilets and washing dishes.
I think people should try what they want to do. You have to put your energy into it. You have to have time and the passion. You really have to like it.
If you could be doing anything else, what would it be?
I’d be a stay-at-home dad.
Travel and practice Buddhism. I love to travel and be inspired by the foods in other cultures. In Thailand, we eat all the time, five times a day. Happy, we eat; sad, we eat.
Hobbies or pastimes when not working?
Spending time with my wife, Shaunavee, my 5-year-old son, Jace, and 7-month-old daughter, Evelyn
Reading … I read everything.
SANDPOINT MAGAZINE
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SUMMER 2013
5/8/13 9:43 AM