Dawn Thai to take Derby Smashburger space

Lou Kumgool is about to make a lot of Derby residents happy. Ever since she opened Gindi Thai Cuisine & Sushi Bar in the former Back Yard Burgers space on West 21st Street near Ridge Road in 2008, Kumgool has been hearing from her Derby and east-side customers who want her to open closer to them.

So that's what she's doing.

Kumgool and her husband, Philip Sayavong , are opening Dawn Thai Steakhouse & Sushi Bar next month in the former Smashburger space at 1220 N. Rock Road in Derby.

This makes her family's fifth restaurant, including three in St. Louis.

"This one is all about me, about my adventure," Kumgool says.

She's even named the restaurant after herself. Kumgool says her Thai first name, Roungaroon , means "dawn."

Kumgool says her father named her because she was born at 5 a.m. He was sitting in a waiting room while her mother gave birth, and when he first heard Kumgool's cries, he looked outside and saw the sun rising.

Kumgool says Dawn will be all about her experiences "through traveling and eating — my passion of eating."

She plans a fusion restaurant.

"It's going to be more fusion — east meets west."

That includes dishes such as a KC strip with basil sauce. Kumgool plans to add those dishes to Gindi's menu as well.

"It's still going very well," she says of Gindi.

Dawn will have seating for about 75 inside and another 20 on the patio. There will be a full bar with what Kumgool calls a collection of cocktails from around the world.

"It's going to be modern, hip and fun," she says. "This is what I like to bring to Derby people."

Vintage style

When first we contacted Erin Duke weeks ago about opening a retail shop in the former Brown's Botanicals space on West Maple across from Target , she asked whether we could wait to report it until she had a more firm opening date.

Customers, however, did not wait.

They saw her Absolute Vintage Boutique sign and came on in.

"Women want to shop," Duke says. "You can't stop them."

Duke and her husband, Brian , are opening the shop with sisters Emily Lee and Amy Gilman , who already have been selling items through Craigslist as Sisters of the Wild West .

Absolute Vintage will sell a mix of vintage, new and consignment items, including furniture, housewares, art, clothing and jewelry.

"I would say a little of everything," Erin Duke says. "We look for pieces that are unique."

A lot of the furniture items will be repainted, repurposed or, as Duke likes to say, "reimagined."

They'll use chalk paint, which creates a vintage look, and likely will sell the popular paint — not to be confused with chalkboard paint — as well.

Lee and Gillman are west-siders. The Dukes live on the east side but weren't hesitant about having a west-side shop, in part because it's just off of Kellogg and easily accessible from anywhere.

"We just couldn't pass up this darling location," Duke says.

She says it's been a floral shop for the last half century or so.

One former greenhouse area will have its own name —Amped Hobbies . It will be especially geared to men and will have a lot of items related to remote-controlled hobbies.

It also will feature what Brian Duke calls "mentiques."

A large greenhouse area on the west side of the building will be used for repainting the furniture for now, though it later could be used as a space for family hobbies.

Erin Duke is already well known to some shoppers because she has worked for Aspen Boutique for 14 years.

"They are absolutely mentors for me," Duke says of Aspen owners Monica and James Smits .

"They are such a gracious couple."

Monica Smits has already been by to help arrange the new place. There's much work to be done, though.

"It's such a sea of merchandise we're working on tagging and displaying," Duke says.

Because there is now a story in the paper, though, is she any closer to an opening date?

Duke pauses before deciding it will be Friday.

"We'll just do it," she says.

"It's going to be so fun."

You don't say

"There are people clamoring to get into our little town, believe it or not."

—Downtown Augusta Inc. executive director Eric Christinat on how some businesses prefer locating in a smaller city

This story was originally published October 12, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Dawn Thai to take Derby Smashburger space."