It’s no secret that Davis, CA, is a welcoming community. For one immigrant family, that openness resulted in great success for their small, family-owned business.
In a new episode of Destination Davis, Nu Yungvanitsait of Red 88 Kitchen and Bar, explains how the Davis community welcomed her family with open arms after they immigrated here from Thailand. The family opened the first iteration of their restaurant in 2002.
“My mom knew it’d be harder to be successful in Thailand. They had more opportunities here. So, they came here and it was do or die,” Nu says.
The openness of Davis residents also means an openness to explore new cuisines, which has helped Red 88 grow. At first, it only offered Thai food. But Nu says there was too much competition, and it was too restrictive in terms of what they could do in the kitchen. Now, they offer Asian fusion, with influences from Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese traditions.
“We have so many different cultural backgrounds here and we’re so open to diversity,” she says. “The community is open to so many types of cuisine that we can incorporate anything, and the community will openly accept it and be willing to try it.”
Like many immigrants, it wasn’t always an easy path for the family. But they knew they would have more success here than in Thailand. Nu started working at the restaurant when she was 17 and ended up attending UC Davis. She said it was work, school, homework, sleep on repeat.
The open mindedness of the Davis community is what allowed her family to pivot and change direction with their concept. Nu said businesses and trends change, and it’s up to business owners to be bold and move with those trends for long-term success.
“The city of Davis and the Davis community have welcomed us as an immigrant family … and now, we’re part of the community here,” she explained.
She said she loves nothing more than interacting with her guests and helping them decide what to order. She and her staff are happy to provide recommendations and share their favorite dishes.
“Whether you’re customers, whether you’re staff or employees, I treat everyone the same as I treat my family and I want you to get the best experience possible,” she said.
Destination Davis: Red 88 Kitchen & Bar
You can watch Nu’s story in full by accessing the video on YouTube. And if you’re craving some authentic Asian cuisine, consider a visit to Red 88 in Davis. Check out the lodging options in Davis and book your escape today.
