Competing restaurants don't actually compete after all

The Esan Thai Restaurant opened to little fanfare last October across the street from the Monroe County Public Library. Two other Thai restaurants, Siam House and Maung Tong Thai, are within the same downtown area. Nonetheless, Esan Thai survived the-make-or break first year, and now business is thriving.\nOthers have not been so lucky. Nearly 80 restaurants in Monroe County closed during the past four years, according to the Monroe County Health Department. Despite this forbidding atmosphere, new restaurants keep popping up to replace those who have permanently turned off their stoves.\n"There are 86 restaurants in the downtown area alone, in a 10 by 10 block area," said Talisha Coppock, the executive director for the Downtown Bloomington Commission.\nIn comparison, Coppock added, the downtown area of northern Indiana's Fort Wayne claims only three full-service restaurants.\n"There is so much that's offered," Coppock said. "We have people from all over the world opening restaurants."\nRuangthong Schoonover, who owns Esan Thai with her husband Don Schoonover, says customers pack her small entranceway on Friday and Saturday nights because she cooks for them the way she does at home.\n"I cook like I eat," Schoonover said. "If you stick to traditional, people will notice the difference."\nMelissa Cocco and Patrick Mitten, one of the two couples having dinner at Esan Thai late Monday night, agreed. Mitten said he eats there about once a month.\n"The food is pretty distinctive," Mitten said. "It's always good quality for the price."\nCocco said she likes it for the fresh ingredients and creative dishes, especially the curries. In front of her was an empty plate that once held red curry with shrimp.\nDespite the close proximity to the other Thai restaurant, Ruangthong Schoonover, 37, said she would only feel the competition if it were literally next door. She is safe for now, as the business next to her is an Indian restaurant.\n"I don't want to compete with them," Schoonover said. "(Siam House) is stable because they've been there so long. (But), I think I can survive."\nIt also helps, she said, that her food comes from the northeast region of Esan, Thailand, while Siam House concentrates on the foods found in Bangkok. The distinctly different tastes keep the restaurants from overlapping each other.\nEsan Thai is breaking even, which is a step up from the 30 percent losses Schoonover suffered for the first few months. Turning a profit is difficult with five employees and freshman status. On average the restaurant generates $16,000 to $20,000 per month. During October, Schoonover turned a profit of $300, she happily reported.\nWim Pok, the owner of Siam House, might in theory be competing for Esan Thai's business. But, like Schoonover, she adamantly claimed otherwise.\n"When you ask about competition, no!" she said.\nSiam House, which celebrates 15 years this month, has an established client base that assures Pok her business is not in jeopardy.\n"Mostly they tell me, 'don't worry about it,'" Pok said. "I have confidence in myself; I've been here for 15 years."\nPok also has other reasons to remain confident. Siam House's monthly revenues doubles that of Esan Thai, averaging $35,000 to $40,000 a month.\nEsan Thai's menu also does not compare to that of Siam House in either complexity or variety, Pok said. Her menu features about 90 distinct menu items.\n"I want you to see what I eat at home is more than the red curry and green curry that everybody knows," she said.\nTime will tell if Esan Thai can stand up to Siam House in the long run. Regardless of the outcome, Schoonover is grateful for the opportunity Bloomington residents afford her.\n"The people of Bloomington are very nice to give me a chance."\n-- Contact staff writer Cameron Thibos at cthibos@indiana.edu.