New Owners Take Over Thai Arawan On Wolflin Street

Change can be the toughest thing for a lot of us to deal with in Amarillo. We get used to our routines, and we just go along. Then all of a sudden, a wrench gets thrown into your plans.

It's been a weekly decision in our household on Tuesdays for as long as we can remember. It's the one night a week we have a guarantee that we don't cook at home. We usually pick up food from one of two places.

We either celebrate Taco Tuesday and pick up from Rosa's or we go for chicken fried rice. Thai Arawan on Wolflin has a weekly $5 chicken fried rice special. We usually phone in our order right when they reopen at 5:00 PM.

A Tuesday Night Routine Interrupted

Week in and week out, it’s always one of those two spots. We have been leaving that decision up to the 4-year-old in the house. This week we didn't give her a choice once I got on social media and saw the heartwrenching news.

The Heartbreaking Social Media Announcement

There was a post from Thai Arawan that changed all of our plans:

Tonight will be our last shift until further notice.

Thank you for everything Amarillo.

-Lan & Chalisa

When we broke the news, my granddaughter literally burst into tears, prompting us to ditch our usual takeout routine and head straight over for a dine-in farewell. We didn't even have the $5 chicken fried rice special that we usually turn to.

We wanted to have dinner at the place we have gone to for over twenty years. We remember when they used to be in Wolflin Village, where Five Guys is now. We have been Thai Arawan fans.

Saying Goodbye to Lan and Chalisa After Over 20 Years

Luckily, when we went in and started talking to our waitress, Bo, she told us that they were just told that day about them shutting down. They knew it was coming, though. The owners, Lan and Chalisa, were retiring to spend more time with those grandbabies. That is how life happens. We wish them a happy retirement.

They sold the restaurant, and the new owners came in earlier that day. The original plan was to close down next week, but they moved that up. The good news is that the employees who have been there were asked to stay. Our waitress has been with Thai Arawan for 22 years, so she was relieved.

Thankfully, the situation wasn't nearly as bleak as it first appeared. Thai Arawan will be returning after a quick remodel by the new owners, with plans to reopen in a couple of weeks. Hopefully that is the case.

What the Future Holds for Thai Arawan and Their Famous Special

We are also all wondering the same thing. Will the $5 chicken fried rice continue to be a special on Tuesday? I know we will be back regardless, but we really hope they keep that long-standing deal.