In Small Elmhurst Shop, Thai Community Thrives
By Oona Roberts and Shay Hunt
The Sugar Club, an eclectic restaurant, art gallery, and grocery store is a Thai community hub known across the Northeast.
“The Sugar Club helps Thai people feel like they are at home,” said Chirawat Withanwattana, 31. Withanwattana is the fourth-generation owner of The Sugar Club and a native of Bangkok, Thailand.
Withanwattana’s family originally opened the store in 1989 in order to make authentic Thai commodities easier to find. However, since its opening, The Sugar Club has flourished as a beacon of Thai culture and communication in the neighborhood. In 2014, the Elmhurst/Jackson Heights area was home to 843 Thai immigrants and the population is steadily growing, according to the Asian American Federation.
Towards the front of The Sugar Club, a colorful menu filled with unique drinks and desserts is fastened to the walls of the small, open kitchen. Thai snacks, beauty products, and pre-cooked meals cover the back shelves of the store. At the entrance, a bulletin board covered in Thai advertisements for housing, jobs, and other services is pinned above a computer, which is free to use and open to the public. The advertisements, written completely in Thai, function as a vehicle for immigrant assimilation.
Although many of the customers at The Sugar Club are of Thai descent, one man, Jeff Erber, 28, stood out from the rest of the shoppers. Erber, originally from Indiana, spent a few years living in Bangkok.
“I started coming out to Elmhurst for the Thai culture,” said Erber. “I wanted authentic foreign food. That’s how I found out about this place.”
Erber said that he visits The Sugar Club several times a week after work.
Like Erber, many customers come to Elmhurst for the delicious merchandise that can’t be found anywhere else in the United States.
“All of the foods and products [we sell] are imported directly from Thailand,” said Withanwattana.
He specifically chooses to buy products that are hard to find elsewhere in the United States because the customary Thai merchandise The Sugar Club carries brings comfort to immigrants.
“People come to The Sugar Club not knowing anything about New York or America,” said patron and resident art commissioner Pairoj Pichetmetakul.
Pichetmetakul, like Withanwattana, is from Bangkok. He moved to New York several years ago in order to continue working in the city.
“People know me here for my art,” Pitchetmetakul said. In the past several years, he’s been using art to help improve the lives of the homeless. He also participates in many showcases across New York.
When he isn’t working on his personal projects, Pichetmetakul picks out the art for shows at The Sugar Club. Every month, The Sugar Club chooses new works to display; all of the works are created by Thai artists and many of them are interactive.
“I choose pieces that everyone will like,” he said.
Art plays an important role in creating the warm, cozy atmosphere of The Sugar Club, so the art curator must be mindful when deciding on which pieces will be displayed.
“Many Thai people are very talented. I don’t want that talent to get lost,” said Withanwattana when asked about why he chose to open an art exhibit in The Sugar Club. “Art can also make the store feel warmer and more homey.”
Withanwattana works hard to make The Sugar Club as intimate as possible, and his work pays off. The Sugar Club has had patrons come from as far away as New Jersey, Connecticut, and even Massachusetts.
Triplets Bonnie, Brandi, and Brenda Lee, who were sitting at a table eating toast, came to the shop from Long Island. They heard about the The Sugar Club through Instagram, and said they will definitely be returning for drinks and dessert again.
As The Sugar Club continues to gain regional attention, Withanwattana hopes to create new programs, including cooking and crafting competitions. He hopes it will help engage current customers and bring new customers in as well. He also wants to expand the shop, but the cost for larger spaces in Elmhurst is high — units can cost up to $6,000 a month.
Nevertheless, Withanwattana likes having his business in Elmhurst because of its large Thai population.
“Elmhurst is a community for Thai people,” Withanwattana said. “It’s a great area for us.”
