Busaba Thai, a local chain with five locations across the Boulder metro, is coming to Union Station this fall. Busaba — “flower” in Thai — will fill the 3,000 square feet formerly home to Zoe Ma Ma, which closed early last year after a decade in business.
“Denver does have very good Thai restaurants, and I respect that,” owner Shekhar Pokhrel told BusinessDen. “We’re not coming to reinvent Thai food. We use fresh spices, have wok cooking. That’s what we bring.”
Pokhrel will bring his pad thai and curries to 1625 Wynkoop, keeping the menu the same as his other restaurants. The cocktail section, however, will be bigger since there’s a larger bar in the space.
He said drinks will be “tropical-inspired” and served at a discount during daily happy hours alongside wine and beer.
Busaba founder Suthinee “Mama” Phairatphilboon and Shekhar Pokhrel. (Courtesy Busaba Thai)
“The core menu will be very familiar with the Busaba customer,” Pokhrel said. “I don’t want someone who comes to both Louisville and Denver to feel out of place at either.”
The build-out for the place is largely straightforward. Zoe Ma Ma’s kitchen is still in good shape, so the changes will be mostly cosmetic for the full-service restaurant, which will seat 85 people inside and has an outdoor patio.
Pokhrel signed a five-year lease for the space.
“I could not think of a better location in Denver,” he said of the spot, which is to the west of the train station and next to Thirsty Lion. “We’re going to bring a modern and sophisticated Thai vibe, like a modern cozy neighborhood spot. But it’s not like you need to be dressed up to go.
“When you go to Busaba, you can just go in your shorts and enjoy the happy hour.”
Pokhrel, a Nepal native, bought Busaba seven years ago from the family that founded it in 2010. That family, led by Suthinee “Mama” Phairatphiboon, built out a menu with recipes from life in Bangkok, Thailand.
Pokhrel came to Colorado 27 years ago to attend University of Colorado Boulder, where he graduated in 2006 with an accounting degree. After stints in Minnesota and New York, he came back to the state in 2014. Busaba in Louisville became his go-to spot, and when “Mama” and her family wanted to retire and move back to Thailand, Pokhrel bought the business.
At the time, the spot only had its Louisville location. But Pokhrel expanded Busaba gradually over the years. He said most of those were by happenstance and he wasn’t seeking them out. With Denver, it was different.
“Our customers have been asking us to come here for a long time, really since the first week I took over,” he said. “We wanted to wait for the right location, and this one feels like the right one to me. Being close to Union Station, you can have someone who lives two blocks away next to someone who just got off a plane at the airport. You have everyone here.”
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Dining and Cooking