2020 was a mixed bag for Mike Johnson and his fiance, Chiranut Srimahaprom.

The couple planned to marry that year, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to delay the festivities, so they’re still not married yet — although Johnson said they “might as well be.” In September of that year, they founded Pali Thai together and served Thai food from a tent at the Palisade Farmer’s Market.

That tent ultimately turned into a food truck. Next year, Johnson and Srimahaprom — who also goes by Pam Johnson — plan to take the next step in growing the business by opening a restaurant at a fixed location. The couple purchased a lot at 128 N. Peach Ave., across the street from Colorado Weedery, and served food from the truck at the lot Friday evening to welcome its clientele to the future home of Pali Thai.

Mike spoke to The Daily Sentinel about the benefits Pali Thai will see from moving into a fixed location while still operating the food truck.

“We currently do all of our prep work out of the commercial kitchen in the Business Incubator, which is a tremendous asset to the area and a great program, but the only downside of it is that we live in Palisade and the incubator’s all the way over in Grand Junction, so we spend a lot of time going back and forth,” he said.

“The first real benefit is that we’ll have our own commercial kitchen which will be co-located with the restaurant, so it’ll really cut down on the time that we have to go back and forth.”

Having a commercial kitchen will also allow them to expand their menu and allow Pam to delve further into her passion for bringing a touch of Thai culture to the Western Slope.



“As far as the customer is concerned, it’s really going to allow Pam to do a lot more of her exciting types of dishes that she loves to do that are kind of difficult to do in a food truck environment,” Mike said. “She can really open up the menu and do a lot of amazing things that will serve the community in different ways.”

Mike said there’s no official timetable for opening the restaurant, as preliminary work such as site surveys and planning with an architect are still on the Johnsons’ plate. He wants to begin building early next year to have the restaurant ready for the summer, but he admitted that this was “probably an aggressive plan.”

Once Pali Thai opens its fixed location, though, it will be the culmination of two years of growth, as the business began its life under a tent, where Pam would cook stir fry meals to the amusement of customers and passersby.

See original article at GJ Sentinel