RICHLAND, Wash. – The Emerald of Siam invites community members to celebrate their 40th year in business.
The Richland Staple always makes time to celebrate the community they serve and its members, not its time for them to celebrate the history of the restaurant.
The Emerald of Siam opened its doors in 1983. Owner Ravadi Quinn said her mission was to make the restaurant a happy place where she could also share a piece of herself with the community.
“I was very proud of my country, especially cuisine,” said Quinn. “When we came here there was no Thai restaurant and I thought, well maybe this is the place where I could introduce my culture.”
Quinn is originally from Bangkok, Thailand, and lives there half of the year, she says she will be on hand for the 40th-anniversary celebration.
Quinn said she thought this place was a great idea, she just wanted to make sure it was the right move for her family.
Quinn said her husband was hesitant at first but eventually gave in and let her open the restaurant.
Quinn retired in 2011 and her kids Dara and Billy Quinn took over operations.
Dara thought it was important for her to put her own spin on the place.
“Music is my passion and when it was time to take over, I had to infuse that element to keep my interest here and put in the stage and lots of live music,” said Dara.
According to Dara, the celebrations will include a huge weekend of live music and poetry, Thai dancing and a Thai Buffett.
Ravadi Quinn will be reading some pieces from her fourth book of poetry she’s wrote.
The Quinn family said they are blessed to have the community’s support for so long.
“We’re a small family business and without the support of the community, there’s no way we’d have made it 40 years,” said Dara.
“The greatest blessing I’ve received in my life, is to have my children doing something for the community,” said Ravadi
The Emerald of Siam has a list of scheduled events on their website and encourages the community to come down and celebrate. This is free to the public.
