Savoring Legacy: Unveiling the Culinary Tales of Lotus of Siam, Las Vegas’ Iconic Thai Food Haven

Welcome to Vegas Circle podcast with your host, paki and Chris. We are people who are passionate about business, success and culture and this is our platform to showcase to people in our city who make it happen. On today's podcast, we got a special guest. We're going to be discussing what it takes to build a successful restaurant brand with one of the owners of the well-renowned Lotus Asiam and also the managing partner of Buafu Group. We got Miss Penny Chituma Chituma. I'm saying it wrong.

I thought I had it right, but I say it.

So Chitima, I got to say it right. So, penny, welcome to Circle, thank you. Thank you for having me. Yeah, so we're excited to have this. So I have been coming to y'all's restaurant, your family restaurant for probably I don't even know 16 years, I think from your old East location off Sahara amazing food. So we want to kind of first start off with your parents building Saipan, right, as I said. So your parents actually opened up the first location of Lotus Asiam on the east side of Las Vegas, on Sahara, about 24 years ago. From my understanding, what was your original goal? Was it actually to get into the family business? Or how did you kind of jump into the family business? We're going to jump in deep.

So I say that I hated the restaurant business. Did you Okay, just because of like what it did to my family.

Okay.

So it was just more of like. But you know, as I grew older I see that I'm a little bit more of a fan of the restaurant business. I saw what my parents put into it. Sure, you know, and just seeing what my mom did, like how she put in the hours she did all that, basically, like you know you I don't want to say like she hustled, but she definitely hustled- she was working at 16, 20 hour days, like.

By the time she got home it was like 2am. By the time we should woke up would probably be like six, seven, you know, come back, pick up, produce everything. At that time we started in California, so she took the bus.

Oh, wow.

And when we moved here, it was my dad and her soul, and then you know myself and my sister, and so when we probably want to say like took in, she probably put in more hours than. I seen like normal laborers, you know.

So that's what probably put me into like, oh, I can't just let it just stop right here.

So, seeing what she did. You know, I actually went and proceeded to do like law school. Oh, okay, so I was actually like I was already at that point where I was like, no, I don't want to do the restaurant business, I want to be able to do something so that I can like just take my parents out of it. But as I grew older I realized like my mom actually loved this place you know, so it was like she referred to her firstborn even though I'm older. That's amazing. That's just what it is.

Yeah, and you kind of see that this has kind of been a staple in Vegas for a long time. You know, even when I first moved here 2011, everybody said you have to go to this restaurant. It's like the restaurant, you know, it's off the strip, great location, the original one at least and I think when you develop something like that and you create a staple in the city, it is kind of hard to move away from that. Did you feel like a certain you mentioned a little bit of expectation to continue that path? Did that go into it? Because it is such a, you know, a mark of specific place in Vegas that everybody knows about?

I mean low key. It definitely was.

It's a, I mean, even though right now it's like a huge burden because you know, you still have many words from other people who's been going to us for a long time, versus, like people who just started going to us. You know, and it's just one of those things. It's like, you know, I maintain the same thing that my mom did, you know, even though it might be a little bit more. I don't want to say industrialized, but it's more fast-paced, like we're working smarter, not harder, you know, and I think as we grow, people lose sight of like oh, hey, it's an actual family business zone. Besides, like, oh, they're just growing. It's like there's so much things going into growing a business that people don't realize. Like, hey, you know, we are EEOC compliant, we hire all, like everybody, whoever wants to work you know, we follow the rules, we follow our taxes.

We don't cheap out on our product, like I'm using the same stuff that people are using on the strip. So it's like people who don't understand restaurant businesses. But they see it and they're like, oh well, this other Thai restaurant is charging cheaper. But I'm like, yeah, did you know that some of them don't pay their people? Or some of them are using products that's not from like a reliable source, like you know, all that other stuff, and so it's like you know we're in that cusp.

That makes sense. Yeah, so you guys currently have two locations, right? So you have the Fomingo location. You also are inside Red Rock Casino. Can you talk about, or be able to at least elaborate on, what happened to the Fomingo? Is that anything you can touch on?

Obviously, that it closed down.

I'm sorry, sahara, I apologize, I said it wrong. Yeah, Can you at least touch on that a little bit, on what happened and where you guys had to close down, we still have the property. Okay, we're renovating it.

It'll probably be done by, I want to say, like February.

Oh, okay, of 2024? Yeah, okay.

Awesome, but we're changing it up to where, when you walk in, it's still going to be the same building, like you saw 20 years ago.

Yeah.

But on the back end we have like commissary kitchen. Oh, okay, we're able to produce for more than 10 locations.

Oh, wow, so that's the goal. Okay, so the goal is growth is what I'm hearing. So the goal is to really build this brand right.

I mean, I have 115 staff on my payroll at just one location. Wow, I have like people who's been with us since I was a kid. So it's like my goal at this point is not just for myself, because I'm comfortable, sure, yeah, and we could build is the goal. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to be working in this complex area as a project. We're here since I was calling them auntie, and that's the people that I have to take care of too.

That's amazing. Yeah, it's kind of like you know, as you continue to grow right.

And I think one thing that has a challenge for my opinion is, like some of these older places that are more of these staple type of Las Vegas locations, you know as you continue to grow. When you mention like becoming more integrated, more efficient, you know more forward thinking, you know a different type of interior look and become more of that type of dynamic, do you see a lot of the people's feedback? It's like oh, you know you're doing the same exact recipes, the same exact product, but for some reason this one is different than the other one.

But it's just like you know. I just always have to stay true at the end of the day. You know it's. It's different because a lot of people do see me as intimidating because I do speak my mind.

Yeah but it's probably the reason I have to is because I have to explain to these people every day that hey, it's, it's literally the same. My mom's the one who literally showed me there's nothing different. It does by measurements. Does you know like? People will be like, oh my god, the portion's got smaller. I'm like we're still using the same measurements.

There's nothing that's changed. That's amazing.

How do you counteract that? Because I think a lot of it is that nostalgia or, like you know, I had such a great experience. You know this experience is different, right, you don't get a little bit of a sense of difference from it, but it's the same thing.

I think a lot of people have a a notion in their mind like oh, this is always supposed to be this way. Like same thing, my menu price is supposed to be the same day that when you first came in. I'm like no bro, have you seen the price of glasses?

Yeah, and it's crazy right now.

Yeah like I used to get steaks Probably like eight to nine a pound. That's just the steaks that I'm getting, like rib eyes is probably like 16 to 19 a pound. It ain't cheap, no more.

That's unreal, that's ridiculous yeah that chicken wing epidemic. Yes.

Yeah, before used to be 50 pound or $50 per like 10 pound case like 250 like. How am I supposed to still stay the same as like before? It's impossible. Yeah and then labor rates is literally when skyrocketed. Yeah, 100%, but then you know my staff in the kitchen. I pay for their insurance. So On top of it I'm paying like what? Almost like 1112 grand just for like just for the burden.

Yeah, and people don't realize that we talk all the time about the burden. I mean, it's probably an extra 29%, almost 30% on top of whatever they actually make, which people don't understand. That it's my business world, that it's. You think you might get paid a certain amount, but it's an additional, like you were saying, 10, 12, you know, 13, 15 thousand dollars a year and that's the thing.

But you know it's like people's notion they automatically assume just because you're a restaurant growing. You have one or two locations. Sure you know, if you're doing really well, they don't see that back in yeah. They just see oh you're, you're growing.

Yeah, like this is location.

I'm like yeah, but I got Technically 200 people on my payroll.

That's a lot, that's a lot of babysitting to you. It's hard, yeah. So you know, I'm glad you mentioned that. Really you've been very verbal and kind of touched on like the misconception of Asian food being very inexpensive. Right was kind of the the goal of Lotus, of Siam, to Really challenge that perception of, look, you need to pay for a higher end quality of food or higher end experience. Was that kind of the original goal that your mom came up with or maybe you guys came up with as a family?

You know what? In the beginning, it was just basically like to show people what Thai food was about. Sure you know, like, like. Probably in the early one we began, I was still like running around the restaurant, but I could still hear people you know like, oh, this isn't like pad thai. Or this isn't the Tom Yum soup normally supposed to be hot and sour. I'm like that's Chinese food.

I got it.

I'm saying yeah the stereotype that we had to deal with yeah like still trailing on, but it's like I have to still go and be like hey, look how? So it's not yellow curry base, bro, like it's a whole different spice mix to make this. It's not like you just put yellow curry powder and that's what cost. I know even regular Thai people some people don't even know, because there's like, like you know, you have people from the south, you have people from California, you have people from New York. They're not gonna make spaghetti the same way, sure? Yeah?

You know what. You said it right. Like both Chris and I, from the Midwest right, I wasn't familiar with Thai food. I wasn't familiar with it at all. I lived in Chicago and also in New England and we didn't eat Thai food. When I had it here in Vegas, specifically your restaurant, I fell in love with it. Yes, it's amazing, so you guys have done a lot. How would you say you guys are special compared to your competitors in your perspective? Because you guys are definitely special, right? What would you say? That is?

like for me. I don't go around like saying that I have. No at the end of the day. For me, it's like everybody all has to eat. Yeah, we're in this business, we're in this field. But for me to be different is because I actually pay attention to my staff, and If I can take care of my staff, they're gonna take care of the gas. That's just.

I agree, I want to yep, that point yeah, I agree.

But for me also we're different because we give people the opportunity. Like you know, you can be fresh off the boat, fresh off the plane and, hey, you don't know how to speak English, but you got a little bit, I gave you a chance.

Like.

I've got servers who, yeah Many times you know you'll see those Yelp reviews. They were so rude. I'm like this person does not speak that great of English.

So it comes off as rude.

But this is the best server that I can have. Like they put their heart and soul to it, why am I gonna just yeah Well, you guys obviously done extremely well and we're building the brand right.

I mean, you guys have had, for real, you guys have all these different people come to your, you know, to your location, specifically the one on Sahara. But it's amazing that you've been able to build this brand, that people know it literally across the world. So that has to be exciting for you guys to be able to work this hard and be able to. You know, continue that. You know family legacy.

Yeah, it makes me happy, you know like. I see guests that come in. They enjoy the experience. That's really what the business is about. Yeah we try to be that hospitality.

That's awesome. So are you actually taking over the business now from your, from your parents? Is that? What I'm understanding is how's the business work now as far as the Lotus of Siam on Flamingo, and then how you guys have broken out everything.

So Lotus of Siam in general is owned by my mom.

Okay.

That will always be under her.

Yeah, yeah got it.

But I just licensed it from her. Okay so I pay her, you know like a franchise, basically, yeah cuz at the end of the day. You know, I don't want it to seem like I, I, I just got it handed to me because you know, that's what the word is she just got it handed like yeah you know how hard it is to maintain a family business. Yeah anybody can get it. Yeah but if you can maintain it, that's a whole different level.

Yeah, I think you know, one of the big benefits, is one of the big pros and in the way you're navigating, you know Red Rock is not, you know, a small feat by any means, and I think being able to build, develop staff and even just get into a situation like a casino to be able to implement a restaurant has to be extremely challenging. You know what was kind of that process like when it comes to just starting to build those connections with, you know, the group that owns the Location that you're leasing from, or having to develop it and build it out and staff it like that's a pretty large location and it looks really fantastic like the. Even the design had to been a feat in itself.

Yeah, I mean it definitely was kind of a process. I have a great team, my teams over there is like amazing, but to get in with I want to say, like the Brititas, they're amazing. Yeah you know, they're one of the people that I kind of Look into as Kind of like a mentor or something like that, because the way that they run their business.

I mean you have staff that's been with you for how long? Yeah one of my best friends is like working for them and she will never leave. That's awesome and she's worked for many other people. Yeah but you know, it's like one of those things like they do take care of.

Yeah, we've had Kelly for Tito on, so we know no brand and what she's been able to do with the marketing and everything and build her own company. But, you're right, they're beast mode so they've been able to do so. You actually partnered up with, with Lou right, to actually build this hospitality company and so that was the three projects you guys built at Red Rock, right. So you guys have Red Rock I'm sorry, lotus of Lotus Assign Red Rock. You guys also have noxos and then you guys have the oyster bar, right. How did you guys in you and Lou connect?

Oh, man did you really Okay for Tao Okay?

Yeah, I started off at Tao Group.

Okay.

Well, you know, it's just leaving the nest trying to get experience to see what the real world really is, because I can't, you know like you just can't run your family's business without actually going through it elsewhere. Okay, because you know you work on your parents, you get like that leeway and everything. But when you work for somebody else at the whole different ball you know like being on time checking your schedule.

Yeah.

When I worked for him I was in the restaurant and then I was started off as a hostess and then at the town, at the town group.

Oh, okay, okay, you guys go back then.

Yeah, okay, okay and then he's always, always been wanting a partner like especially expand my mom's business. We were never ready yet, until COVID and everything.

No, I've met Lou Lou's great, I was actually guys grand open. I didn't get a chance to see you there, but it was a madhouse which you guys were able to do, a red rock. But you guys have really do some, some amazing concepts at the red rock right. So you guys actually have like a champagne party brunch. You guys have done a multiple different things. Is that from your experience from towel group of kind of bringing that flavor kind of off the strip or it's?

definitely like Lou's Experience okay. I never really like going nightclub parties but, I always did party. Yeah so it was, like you know, bringing that to like the burbs who wouldn't? Yeah you know you got your kids gonna be at like the park, Whatever it is let the parents go to, like this quote-unquote champagne party branch. Yeah, like, why go to the strip?

Yeah, especially for us locals.

Yeah, you know, that's what I'm loving, right is like, yeah, red rock is amazing.

When they've been able to do it. Now it seems like everybody's really bringing, like they're up in the other right other. I know you say it's not competitors, but they really are. Like you got downtown someone, you guys have got what you, what you guys have been able to accomplish. But I do want to talk about knock sauce. Noxious got amazing food. How did you guys come up with this concept of knock sauce and in the, in Greek food? Did you guys find a need that Greek food wasn't really doing it, or how did you guys come up with that concept?

I mean that one is for sure like Lou okay who's the one who said that all? I'm just a minority holder on that one but, it's like being in Vegas there, really, if you did, you had to go all the way to me, yeah, so what other place has it?

Yeah, yeah, pretty, yeah, not, and in the way you guys have done, it is awesome.

It's like elevated Greek food like. It's very much like. You don't really see that a lot, it's you know I'm gonna go get a euro on you know a fast casual restaurant and head away. So it's a little bit more of a elevated thought process kind of you know. That's how I would like in like Lotus. I am like an elevated, you know Thai experience in general versus you know going in grabbing some fast, casual food.

So and the team does a really well job like finding and sourcing out like responsible types of proteins and stuff like that for the Business. But we're one of those that we watch what we eat so like our produce, our seafoods, especially our shrimps, it's all well caught we're, you know yeah try to be responsible in something, yeah, real, organic.

Yeah, yeah, sourcing is, you know, definitely a challenge. Now I think COVID really impacted that specifically for restaurants. I think just the transportation to being able to get things at a reasonable cost, you know, as you're trying to develop a brand and expand, does it create those different challenges. Now you're buying in bulk and now sourcing something from a local, you know, maybe a mom-and-pop that gave you good quality product for a reasonable price. Now you have to get five times as much and it makes those processes a lot more challenging because you ran into some of that.

I mean honestly, we still use local vendors. So they're all you know like we go through ocean Express, like, and you know it's like small family owned but they've been around for a long time and so we always talk to them, we use them. You know we also use a Samuel and sons. Okay, it's like you know, we still go through the same vendors but, they're all responsible. If they can't find it, they'll try to respond to the source.

So, you know, we just it's one of those things that you just have to just keep growing and if you grow, they grow with you. Yeah, it's like, not just one person and anything.

Being in Vegas makes that process a little bit better, because we do have, I would assume, really great just distribution channels because of the casinos and, I'm sure, the fratitas that you know, red rock, have pretty good.

Relationship and quality vendors yeah does that help at all?

like?

100%. I mean, you know, with our brand also, since we've been using like these vendors for 20, 30 years, like it also helps and then when they see that we expand, they're happy about it.

Oh, that's exciting.

It's always good to grow together, yeah we've had multiple Guests come on that have actually said Lotus Assign is their favorite restaurant. I know you probably know Chef Barry over at berries. He's been to you guys. They're awesome people, friends of ours. What do you eat? What's your favorite thing on the menu with it? Let's start with Lotus Assign. What would you say if you were sitting there eating tonight? What would you? What would you eat there? I already ordered.

Okay, but for always like, I Love to eat my mom's steak tartare.

Okay, oh, that sounds fantastic. Okay, that's like my favorite Okay.

Then tie we caught koi soy koi soy okay. Some days I shall have like these specials and she'll bring in like the big bluefin tuna's. Okay, she'll make it like that. I'm not like the best thing ever. Yeah, um, I do play around with like my cow soys. I'll swap it between, like soft shell crabs or short ribs.

Okay.

Sometimes I'll do duck but because, like the first 10 years I was into duck, I kind of Okay okay. You know we also do. Which is another one, my mom's like secret. It's um no, which is like the pork stew with vermicelli noodle, and I think that's like Game changer.

Okay, I probably should be talking about this.

I'm hungry.

This is the worst everybody to do. Because I love y'all's restaurant, I'm hungry.

Though the garlic prawns, I'm just gonna have to say that is like my favorite thing on your menu. That is awesome. Yeah, absolutely awesome. Let's talk a little bit about problem solving. I've seen being business owner being able to run through a lot of these Holes and pivots and things like that. How do you kind of problem solve? What's your, which kind of your, strategy on business? Because you're dealing with 200 employees like you're doing a problem, so I know you hit a lot of roadblocks. How do you kind of break through that?

You know I had to put on the big boy pants. Yeah, I had a younger age, okay prior to that, I would probably be like, oh, try to avoid the situation, sure, but you know, when my dad got sick like that, I ended up having to really Face problems head-on, like you know, I ended up being people. Call it Um, I want to say combative, but I'm very Confrontational okay, so I confront all the problems. Yeah you know, I hear something. Settle it them in there same thing with like employees, you have a problem.

We got to. We got to knock it out of park now because I don't want you walking around with like that negative feel, like it's uncomfortable With people you know like why? Walk around like that for weeks on end, when you don't even have to worry about that at my spots you know, like just talk about it with me.

Mm-hmm, there's the energy. You know the energy could be off immediately. Specific catting this and a lot of stuff. You can deal with it.

Yeah, for sure it's like you know you poison your own body. Like why do that? Like I would rather have all of us like sit on a table, figure it out, Get it through. Yeah same thing. Customers come in. I'm like, alright, hey, I guess I have to deal with it Then deal with it, but if it doesn't work, then I'm sorry here Figure it out part ways, yeah.

I love that. Just take it head-on with us being, you know, Vegas Circle. We talk a lot about who's in your circle, right? So who's been kind of some of your mentors to be able to kind of coach you? I know obviously your mom's been a huge asset for you and that might be the person that gave you the most wisdom. But can you kind of give a gem on you know what you learned or who's in your circle that's been a mentor or coach for you?

Maybe it's because of like blessed by my parents.

Yeah, I do.

I am very lucky that I'm able to access to all these people, but you know, my business partner in general to Louie man. I learn a lot from him. Yeah but you know, I also learned from Andrew turn, mr Pan Express. You know him and his wife. I learned quite a bit from them. Yeah he always likes to tell me you know, every time he comes he'll be like give me a denomination, like a number. Hey, what did you do last year?

Be like I did you know give or take, like just estimate. I'll just throw a number out, be like oh, I did five million you like okay, do six million, they come and then, when I beat it. Call them and then he will talk some more well, like he like. Okay, what did I do to change it?

Along those lines and then you know just everybody in the industry. I still have my really good friend Mike Cogman, still learn from him too, and it's just I'm just really thankful that I have these people in my corner.

Yeah sure, what's one thing you learn from your mom.

The confrontation. Okay, I mean it's just one of those things like don't back down.

Yeah, love that, especially being in business. You can't be, can't tiptoe around a lot of stuff, man, and people take advantage for sure.

I can't even imagine being in Vegas with the restaurant business and things it could be hard, it's, it's worse when you're like a female, honestly at the end of the day, like I think my dad probably prepped me for this. I don't know, because I kid you not half of my guy friends will think I'm a guy or, like 90% of my girlfriends, all think I'm a dude One or the other. But you know, it's like going into the rooms.

With a lot of these people, it's like you just can't shy away at the end of the day, can't be timid now, yeah cuz, when you're sitting on a table with a bunch of these people, they already see through you. So if you're gonna be like timid and shy, they already know how to work around you.

Yeah, love that. I love the honesty to the transparency, cuz that's true. People will take advantage and if they see one piece of it, they'll eat it. You know, so awesome With us talking about business advice, right with us being a business podcast, can you share just with just one gem of business advice for you know, somebody maybe wants to get in business for themselves, or Maybe having those second thoughts of what to do, what would you say to them?

Honestly, when anybody really wants to get into a business, the first thing is to protect themselves like Don't think, oh yeah, we're friends, we can be in a business together like shake hands. No, I'm sorry, I promise you right now, somebody better go get a contract. You better have an operating agreement. You're gonna do something to protect whatever you own everybody owns and what you put in yeah. Because anybody can be like oh, I'm friends with you. The next day they should go.

We learned that We'll talk about that online, so I'm glad. I'm glad you said that. I don't think anybody said that yet. No, on the part. So I know you've been known as the professional Food taster, right, and we. We talk about favorite restaurants in Vegas and I just got to know what is your favorite restaurant in Vegas when you're not. You know, obviously, a lot of society. I'm an axos. Give us a gem that we do. Yeah, I know you know. I know you know a lot of them, so Give us one that, uh, this, this good, very good, let me, let me give you by category.

Okay, All right, let's go yeah my steaks I'll go to Barry shout out to Chef yeah, I'm going there Saturday.

I think you go.

Yeah, shout out to y'all. See then, marco, it in Barry over there or Sushi and stuff like that.

I would go to come a or I would go to Mizumi.

I've been to music before. What was the?

other one you said coming what is coming?

Yeah, no, that's a first.

I'm looking my wife on the.

They're there like we literally forget the names.

Where's that at?

Yeah, it's at the Lotus apartments. Low-level downstairs, yeah you're right past by there before I'll spring mountain have to, if you want that like I want to tell you, like, if you want that Japanese on the cause experience Okay.

I'm going to you know your stuff.

Okay, Chinese food, bro. I'm so sad. It used to be joyful but they closed. I was going on for like Okay, you gave some gyms.

Yeah, that's a good one. Okay, what else are you focused on, man, I know with the boulevard food group, I know you guys are doing some big things on that was just launching it. You know your three projects. What else are you kind of focused on? I know you're gonna be moving back into the Sahara location in February, but can you kind of share what, what else you want to accomplish?

I mean currently, we're definitely expanding Trips already.

Oh, texas, okay awesome.

Okay, we plan for Austin, probably Amy for Miami too.

Wow, okay, lot of lot on the horizon, and that makes sense, with you building the prep and everything. Well, I appreciate you hanging out with great, be able to drop some gyms for us and give us some locations that we could check out, but, um, literally love what you guys are doing. You know, shout to your mom and your dad and, honestly for our listeners, you, if you have not checked out a little society, I'm you missing out, because they've got really amazing food. I'm not just saying that they're amazing place to be able to go to so you can check us out to Vegas Hacker, calm and subscribe with us. So thank you very much. We appreciate you. Thank you, you.