THAI TOWN CENTER (TTC) IN CHICAGO
Investment Opportunity
Thai Town is a dream. It is not a dream of one man alone, but a dream that is shared by many others in our Thai community here as well as back home in Thailand. The realization of this dream must come from a true conviction and determination; both of which I believe we have.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Location: 4461 N. Pulaski, Chicago, IL 60618
Size: 12,500 square feet building plus two empty lots
Zoning: B1-1
Proposed Plans: Thai restaurant/Thai spa/TAAI office/available office spaces
Principal Investors:
- Chef Arun Sampanthavivat, Chef/Owner of Arun's Thai Restaurant
Tel: (773)807-1547 Email: info@arunsthai.com
- Mr. Sunny Leon, President of Suncast TV
- Mr. Philip Du, President of D&H Granite and Marble Construction/Developer
Government: The City of Chicago, Alderman Margaret Laurino, 39th Ward (Albany Park)
INTRODUCTION
Thai Town is a dream. It is not a dream of one man alone, but a dream that is shared by many others in our Thai community here as well as back home in Thailand. The realization of this dream must come from a true conviction and determination; both of which I believe we have.
Yet, to dream is one thing but to realize it is another. Let's face it, we are in the fiercely competitive world of today that will never allow us to live by our dreams alone. Remunerative rewards are immediate goals and they are a vehicle that transforms dreams into a reality.
Hence, the TTC is designed to help us get to the ultimate dreams of uniting our Thai community while strengthening it. It is our fervent hope that through the commercial activities created by the TTC, the social and cultural fabric of the Thais will be woven. The TTC is a dynamic way to help generate common goods among the Thais as well as others in this country. It is meant to benefit all, especially those who are closely involved. Strictly speaking, it is a profitable entity that helps cultivate and promote our cultural heritage and social existence, which essentially are the dreams we all share.
THE PROPOSED PLANS
The TTC is a development project that requires a few interrelated phases to realize its goal, I.e., becoming a Thai Town in strict sense.
1. The first immediate and most important project is to develop a commercial concept that will generate profits. This concept has two parts:1.1 THAI RESTAURANT
A casual Thai restaurant offering a tapas-style of food service, similar to those food service in Thai food courts seen in most department stores in Thailand. There will be visibly cooked food ready to order, offering arrays of typical Thai food drawn from four different regions of Thailand: north, south, northeastern and the central plains.
Food service will be offered daily, 7 days a week, for both lunch and dinner, and possibly late night snacks. Beverages, I.e., liquors, lagers and wines are also deemed as a profitable part of this restaurant operation.
Moreover, packaged or ready-to-go food, such as sauces, dried food, etc., will be available. This service, hopefully, will turn into a different line of food business that will generate handsome revenues. Besides, most of packaged food will be labeled under a world-renown chef or Chef Arun Sampanthavivat himself. Hopefully, through this effort, a new trade mark under his name will be launched.
We are confident that this restaurant’s operations, unlike general restaurants, will be most profitable as it is supported by our community and the American market at large and, most of all, run by one of the most successful Thai chefs, Chef Arun Sampanthavivat. If he can bring his own restaurant into world attention, as being listed in the New York Times' best selling book, 1,000 Places To See Before You Die, he can certainly bring this restaurant into general market's attention very promptly.
1.2 THAI SPAA spa service is a trendy service business in Thailand today. We can proudly say that it was uniquely created by Thailand and through talented and competent Thai spa professionals, Thai spas have been widely recognized and enthusiastically appreciated. Our spa service here will be designed to fit our local market needs, while remaining in line with the elegance of the spas in Thailand.
Simultaneously, specially designed spa products under Chef's Arun Sampanthavivat will be created under a new brand name. The spa service should generate handsome returns as it bears no overhead costs comparing with the restaurant component. Therefore, this is a very important part of our business investment that can produce a quick return of our investments.
1.3 THAI-AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS
The TTC, as mentioned above, is not a usual business; it is designed to offer social benefits whenever possible. To allow the TAAI to have a permanent office in the property is challenging. Not only does this reflect the sincere conviction to our Thai community, but it is also a far-sighted effort to have a symbolic force within our domain. It is our fervent hope that the TAAI, as a non-profit organization, can help draw the Thai community as well as their friends to support the business. Their being here with us is a long-term commitment, a friendship that has agreed to work together to reach our goal. I.e., a recognition of the Thai dignity and its existence in this country.
2. The TTC is not as yet Thai Town is a complete sense, it is first a center that hopes to bring the community together, commercially, socially and culturally. As a business entity, it is professionally established and officially recognized and supported by the City. Therefore, there will be a continued and concerted effort between us and the City, i.e., the private and the public sector. It is symbolically important to both partners to be approved by the public, particularly the Thai community since the TCCI can certainly bring about enthusiastic efforts for social participation.
Our second step is however to move on as soon as the first step is satisfied. We will work to encourage the investments in the area, either through business collaboration or through rendering supports. We vow to attract peoples across cultures to build diverse business, such as restaurants, clothing stores, beauty salons, even mass media and hotels, most have which have been under constant dialogue and general approval. In other words, we would like to see more professional businesses in the area that will help generate jobs and well-beings of Thai people and the public at large. Specifically, we are aiming to acquire an additional property to develop a Thai supermarket that concentrates on the imported products of Thailand. A supermarket is a money-making project and it is the project that will without a doubt bring many people into the area.
Nevertheless, the TTC intends to work with everyone who will come together to help develop the area. Concerted efforts help us reach our goal more efficiently and much quicker than otherwise trying to strike it alone.
PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS
Working toward founding the TTC involves many people, directly and indirectly, privately and publicly. Aside from the indirect participation of the various branches of the governments both from this as well as Thailand, direct involvements come from the three principal investors who initiate this project and the general Thai populace from the Thai community in the City of Chicago.
As this venture is meant to be a Thai Town, it is imperative that it ought to be built by the Thais. We must prove to the world that, as small of a community as it may be, the Thai community is capable of working as a group and, hence, of achieving it as a group. Therefore, the primary investors for this special project should be nobody else but the Thais. It may be easier and naturally quicker to have just a few deep pockets that will lead the project, but this will alternate our sincere plans. Our goal is to promote social participation so that we may proudly announce to the world our existence. Therefore, the investment opportunity is open to all and offers an investment opportunity for those with little incomes to join in being an important part of this professional investment group. Here are specific investment plans:
A share will be offered at $3.00 per share with the minimum requirement of 10,000 shares, translated into $30,000, which is affordable to the majority of people. The amount of $30,000 is usually not large enough for starting private businesses. This is therefore a golden chance to see the small amount of $30,000 turns into a profitable investment opportunity. The project is ambitious and challenging but feasible. The sooner we start, the closer we will get to our goal.
The TTC will be run by three professional and successful business partners. (See the separately attached Bios). Under their professionalism, vision and genuine convictions, there is no doubt that this venture will be led to the successful direction.
INVESTMENT STRUCTURE
As soon as the project was approved and the property acquired, financial efforts were launched. A general public announcement was officially made under the enthusiastic support of Ms. Vallapa Kongsri, President of the Thai-American Association Of Illinois on March 24, 2010 at the temporary TAAI office on Irving Park. Many curious and constructive questions were raised, but enthusiastic supports and commitments were similarly made. Presently, $1.5 million for a capital investment from the Thai community is being generated to partially accommodate the total investment capital of $3 million.
While the three principal partners are responsible for acquiring the property from the City, the construction administrative requirements and other related costs of $1.5 million are therefore expected to come from the investment supports of Thai community. Incidentally, Chef Arun Sampanthavivat, a Thai-American citizen, holds 51.2% that puts him in a majority position in relations to the two other principal partners.
PROSPECTIVE ASSISTANCE
As this is a business project that will benefit the American public in general, especially those living in the area, we would expect the City, the State or even the Federal Government to render their supports wherever their policies coincide with our operation. For instance, we will work on getting our fair shares from various branches in the Government such as those dealing with minority issues and small business development issues. Those are, we believe, various sources of assistance that should be available to us.
In addition, as the TTC, working towards founding an official Thai Town in the United States, we should be able to count on supports from our own Government in Thailand which incidentally has made numerous public announcements to render support for various Thai commercial activities, especially those dealing with food and spa businesses.
TIME FRAME
By the end of April 2010, the initial investment plan should be concluded as we are going to finalize our agreement with the City. Therefore, we would like to make an urgent call for the commitment, if we want to move on and realize our dreams.
CONTACTS
Chef Arun Sampanthavivat (773)539-1909
Mr. Sunny Leon (312)636-6888
Ms. Chananat Sookhakitch (847)951-8424
Ms. Vallapa Kongsri (708)269-0622
Arun Sampanthavivat
Principal President, Thai Town Center
President, SJL., Inc. DBA Arun's Thai Restaurant
Arun Sampanthavivat is the originator of Thai Town Center, responsible for overseeing the project and inviting potential investors to join the development of Thai Town Center in Chicago.
Mr. Sampanthavivat, owner and executive chef of a world-renowned Arun’s Thai Restaurant in Chicago, holds a degree in Thai literature and foreign languages from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Sophia International University in Tokyo and in Political Science from the University of Chicago.
While working toward a doctorate in Political Science at the University of Chicago, Arun Sampanthavivat accepted a position with a California-based firm as a consultant on Asian affairs. In 1985, he joined a group of investors planning to open a Thai restaurant in Chicago; when those plans fell through, he went ahead alone. Although he had no formal training as a chef, his knowledge of Thai cuisine helped him create Thai dishes that satisfied his own demanding tastes and those of his upscale clientele.
His present location is a far cry from that first small rented space. Arun now owns a richly decorated restaurant that continually wins critical acclaims and prestigious awards, among them the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef of the Midwest, Wine Spectator’s and DiRoNA’s respective Awards of Excellence, Restaurant & Institutions’s Ivy Award, and the AAA Auto Club’s highest rating. Holding consistently 3.5 rating, Arun’s ranks among Chicago Magazine’s List of Chicago’s 20 Finest Restaurants. The Chicago Tribune gives Arun’s its highest rating, and calls it “without a doubt the best Thai restaurant in the area” and “a civic treasure”. The Wall Street Journal has referred to Arun’s as “where you get Chicago and the nation’s best Thai meal”. Tim Zagat, co-founder of the Zagat Survey, in an article in Chicago’s Sun-Times, declared "Arun’s on North Kedzie – in the top 40 for best food and most popular (in the country) – the ‘best Thai restaurant in the country’”. Arun’s is even listed in Patricia Schultz’s New York Times Bestseller, 1,000 Places To See Before You Die. This year, Arun was once again nominated for the award as Best Chef of Great Lakes by the James Beard Foundation in New York, and once again he maintains his 5-Diamond rating by the AAA's.
In the local community, he is recognized as one of the civic leaders who continues to play important roles in supporting his community as well as others. Commended for this year, he was named a model Thai citizen by the Thai-American Association of Illinois, who has made positive contributions to his community. In other communities, he was actively involved and has been recognized through numerous awards that were rarely bestowed upon others beyond their own; such as, the Hall of Fame by the Filipino community, Outstanding 50 Asian-Americans in Business award by Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC) in New York, etc.
He was also invited by the OCA (Organization of Chinese American) as one of the three prominent guest speakers to address the issues concerning achievements among Asian American Citizens. Early this year, he was issued a Resolution honored by the City of Chicago, officially recognizing his professional achievements. Moreover, Arun Sampanthavivat is also recognized by Thailand, being honored in the Prestige Magazine among of the selected group of 100 business leaders of the country. In numerous occasions, he was also featured in many popular magazines in Thailand such as Praew, Khan Ruan and Hello magazines, etc.
Citizenship: US
Sunny Leon
Principal/Vice-President, Thai Town Center, Inc.
Mr. Sunny Leon is responsible for selecting professionals and contractors to develop an initial development budget plan in accordance with the request for proposals for the purchase and development of the City of Chicago’s property. His development and entrepreneurial experience will serve as valuable assets to the creation of the Thai Town Center.
Mr. Leon is also the founder of Suncast Network, Inc. (SuncasTV). His professional background is in business and technology, and his domestic and international experience landed him the position of Chief Architect for Suncast Network’s platform. Mr. Leon has been responsible for raising seed money, staffing an experienced management team, starting up the operation and maintaining good public relations. Mr. Leon has seen great success in his entrepreneurial endeavors. As an active and highly experienced entrepreneur, Mr. Leon has also owned a well-established telecommunications retail business since 1993. BeeGee communications began as a small start-up retail store and grew into a $5 million business within five years. He also successfully turned around Jockey restaurant in Hoffman Estates, IL to a positive cash flow while developing a new concept Chinese Dim Sum Express for his second restaurant. The business was sold for a substantial profit in 2007.
Mr. Leon has developed real estate in Bridgeport, Chicago since 2004. Under Emerald Homes, LLC, his company built 26 condominium units from an empty land and sold them for over $6.5 million dollars before the real estate market crashed in 2008. In addition, Mr. Leon previously served as a lead project engineer in the Advanced Microelectronics materials division of Honeywell International for 7 years. He is business minded with extensive professional experience in the corporate America world, two factors that helped him become a highly motivated individual in the development of winning strategy for business start-up.
Awards: Asian American Hall of Fame Business Award; Business Entrepreneur Award, Jesse White, Secretary of State, Illinois. Most Recent Accomplishments 2009: September 2009, Mr. Leon was invited to the White House to receive the 2009 National Media Firm of the Year Award by the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Phillip Du
Principal/Vice-President, Thai Town Center, Inc.
Mr. Phillip Du has been responsible for financing seed money for the start-up of the Thai Town Center project. He will be overseeing the financial aspect of the build-out and ensuring the completion of the project within the budget and timeline. His business developments, entrepreneurial experiences and strong financial background are valuable assets to the start-up of The Thai Town Center.
Mr. Du started his first retail restaurant business in 1990. His business started as a family style restaurant and within five years grew into an empire generating $10 million dollars in annual sales. Under his leadership, the company has more than 100 employees to manage. Mr. Du has great vision; he is the pioneer of turning his East China Inn venture into multiple locations, while developing the first online order process for all his restaurants.
Mr. Du is also the founder of D&H Granite and Marble. He purchased a 20,000 square feet empty building in Chicago and converted this building into a state of the art location for the installation and fabrication of granite and marble, which is supplied to wholesaler and construction businesses. Now, his company serves 80% of the market in Chicago Chinatown. Mr. Du also developed a 50,000 square feet commercial shopping center in Taisha, China that had a total development cost of $3 million U.S. Dollars. His company subsequently purchased one hundred acres of land for his landscaping business in China.
โครงการ Thai Town Center (TTC) แห่งมหานคร Chicago
วันที่ 24 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2553
ศูนย์สมาคมไทย ถนน Irving Park ณ นคร
ผู้นําโครงการ
1. นายอรุณ สัมพันธวิวัฒน์
เจ้าของร้านอาหาร Arun's Thai Restaurant
2. Mr. Sunny
SuncasTV
3. Mr. Xi Hong Du (Philip)
Land Developer
บุคคลทั้ง 3 เป็นหัวหน้าโครงการก่อตั้ง
สถานที่ทําการ
นายอรุณ สัมพันธวิวัฒน์ ได้รับการอนุมัติให้ดําเนินกิจการนี้จาก City of Chicago ภายใต้การสนับสนุนของ Alderman Margaret Laurino โดยอนุมัติสถานที่ให้เป็นที่ทําการจากการจัดซื้อภายใต้ระเบียบการจัดซื้อและนโยบายการพัฒนาของท้องถิ่นแถบนี้ สถานที่ได้รับการอนุมัติให้ครอบครอง เป็นสถานีตํารวจเก่า เป็นตึก 2 ชั้น พร้อม basement ตั้งอยู่ ณ เลขที่
การตกแต่งภายนอกจะเป็นลักษณะกึ่งตะวันตกและไทย ดังที่นิยมกันในสมัยรัชกาลที่ 5 ซึ่งนิยมรูปแบบของอาคารยุโรป สมัยต้นศตวรรษที่ 19 ส่วนภายในจะตกแต่งแบบไทยร่วมสมัย บริเวณโดยรอบจะมีบรรยายกาศของต้นไม้ที่ให้ความร่มรื่น
สารัตถะสําคัญของธุรกิจ
ธุรกิจที่นําเสนอนั้นมี 2 อย่างคือ
1. กิจการร้านอาหารไทย แบบ casual ในรูปแบบของ tapas กล่าวคือบริการอาหารอย่างกันเอง มีอาหารทั้งพร้อมเสริฟ และอาหารตามสั่ง ทั้งยังมีอาหารสําเร็จรูปที่บรรจุในกล่อง นอกจากนั้นยังมีอาาหารขายส่งหรือ delivery service ร้านอาหารใน TTC แห่งนี้จะเปิดบริการทุกวัน
2. กิจการสปา ตามรูปแบบของ spa service ซึ่งเป็นที่นิยมกันมากในประเทศไทย ทั้งในบรรดาคนไทยและชาวต่างชาติ
ลักษณะพิเศษของ TTC
อนึ่ง ใน TTC จะมีสํานักงานของ Thai-American Association เพื่อแสดงสัญญลักขณ์แห่งความร่วมมือร่วมใจของคนไทยในนคร
TTC มิใช่ธุรกิจดังที่เห็นอยู่ทั่วไป แต่เป็นธุรกิจที่วางรูปแบบและโครงการที่จะอํานวยผลประโยชน์ให้ชุมชน โดยเฉพาะคนไทย และเป็นเพียงการเริ่มต้น หากประสบผลสําเร็จดังคาดหมาย ผู้นําโครงการจะทําการขยายตลาดในทันที โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่งโครงการสร้าง supermarket สําหรับคนไทยและชาวต่างชาติที่นิยมของไทย และการสนับสนุนด้านพัฒนาธุรกิจต่างๆของคนไทยในแถบนี้ ภายใต้ความร่วมมือและการทํางานอย่างใกล้ชิดกับ City of
เรื่องการลงทุนพอเป็นสังเขป
TTC เริ่มประกาศขายหุ้นทั้งสิ้น 500,000 shares มูลค่า share ละ $3.00 ผู้ที่สนใจจะต้องซื้ออย่างน้อย 10,000 หุ้น ซึ่งมีมูลค่า $30,000
อนึ่ง การลงทุนครั้งนี้จะเป็นโอกาศสําคัญที่คนไทยทั่วไปได้ร่วมสร้างธุรกิจด้วยการอย่างเป็นทางการภายใต้ความเห็นชอบของรัฐบาลอเมริกา โดยมี City of Chicago ให้ความสนับสนุนและร่วมมืออย่างเต็มที่ ถือว่าเราเริ่มมีโอกาศสร้างศูนย์ของ Thai Town ขึ้นเป็นครั้งแรกและจะมีโครงการพัฒนากันต่อไป จนวันหนึ่ง ในไม่ช้าคงจะเป็น Thai Town ที่สมบูรณ์ในที่สุด สิ่งที่สําคัญที่ตามมานั้นคือคุณานุประโยชน์อย่างมากมาย โดยเฉพาะในการนําเข้าของสินค้าไทยเพื่อจะได้นํามาเสนอจําหน่ายที่นี่ โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่ง เริ่มจากผลิตภัณฑ์ด้านอาหารซึ่งเป็นสินค้าหลักของประเทศไทยในปัจจุบัน นอกจากนั้นจะเป็นการเริ่มต้นในการปูรากฐานทางธุรกิจและสังคมที่จะนํามาซึ่งความพากภูมิใจให้บรรดาลูกหลานไทยที่ถือกําเนิดและเติบโตขึ้นในประเทศนี้ เป็นสัญญลักขณ์ให้พวกเขาจดจําและตระหนักถึงความเป็นไทยอยู่เสมอ อย่างไรก็ดี ความสําเร็จของ Thai Town ในอนาคตอันใกล้มิได้ขึ้นอยู่กับผู้นําหรือผู้บริหารกิจการแต่ผู้เดียว แต่ขึ้นอยู่กับความเป็นหนึ่งเดียวของคนไทยที่มีวิสัยทัศน์ที่กว้างไกล และสมัครใจที่จะแปรความฝันของ Thai Town ให้กลายเป็นจริง
การติดต่อ
ท่านผู้สนใจที่จะสนับสนุนในการลงทุน กรุณาติดต่อผ่าน คุณ ชนานาฏ ศุขกิจ หมายเลขโทรศัพท์ 847-951-8424 หรือ 773-539-1909 หรือคุณวัลลภา คงศรี 708-269-0622 ส่วนผู้ที่สนใจทราบรายละเอียดของการลงทุน โปรดติดต่อโดยตรงที่คุณ อรุณ สัมพันธวิวัฒน์ หมายเลข 773-807-1547 ภายในวันที่ 25 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2553 นี้
ขอเชิญชวนผู้ที่ตกลงร่วมทุนมาประชุมรับทราบรายละเอียด ในวันที่ 25 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2553 เวลา บ่าย 3 โมง ที่ศูนย์สมาคมไทย เลขที่
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