Today we’d like to introduce you to Dream Kasestatad.
Hi Dream, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a traveling cross-country Thai pop-up chef. I started in Los Angeles about ten years ago doing pop-ups at trendy bars, restaurants, and events. Now, I do pop-ups nationwide. I’m currently on an east coast pop-up tour, “From Austin to Boston”. I’m based in Austin, TX.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been smooth. Like any business, my pop-ups have had their ups and downs. Since my business is very dependent on customers purchasing dishes, I depend on venues I cook at to help spread the word. Most of the time, venues in different cities are grateful I’m cooking in their respective towns. Sometimes I get a few venues I cook at that don’t promote the event even after we decided to book a month in advance. So that becomes problematic for me because I travel – sometimes up to 15 hours drive time to their city and cook in their venue and it’s very slow. Then it cost me not both monetarily and time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I travel around the country do Thai pop-ups in breweries, wineries, restaurants, bars and sometimes hotels. I’m currently on an east coast pop-up tour, “From Austin to Boston.” Most of the time I set up inside breweries because they need food and in terms of space, breweries have a lot of space and everything I need to setup up my pop-ups i.e. huge space (indoor and outdoor), water, walk-ins, and a build-in following of patrons. Most of my pop-ups I handle all by myself. This includes everything from cooking/prepping to taking the guest’s orders and sometimes even serving the dishes. It’s a one-man show.
I’m really proud of the fact that after several years of cooking for people all around the country, I still have customers tell me after every pop-up that it’s some of the best Thai food they’ve ever eaten. They often ask when I will be back in their town. What started off has new customers have turned into regulars when I come to their towns and some have turned into lifelong friends.
How do you think about happiness?
Cooking for people is a sign of love in my family. People love to eat! Cooking for people makes me happy.
Pricing:
- Dishes can range from $11-$15
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @pranompopup
