Exploring Life & Business with Niki Pattharakositkul of Pink Lotus Thai Restaurant

Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Pattharakositkul.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Bangkok and moved to Atlanta as a teenager. I graduated from Georgia State with a Marketing degree, but I’ve always been passionate about food and hospitality. At 26 years old, I took a chance and opened my first restaurant, 26 Thai Kitchen & Bar.

What started as one restaurant has grown into multiple concepts across Atlanta. I love creating brands, developing menus, and building teams. My goal has always been to bring Thai food to the next level while staying true to where it comes from.

I’ve never been afraid to take risks. I don’t wait for opportunities—I create them.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, not at all. In the beginning, the hardest part was credibility. I was young and nobody really knew who I was, so I had to prove myself every step of the way.

I was basically a one-man show. I did a little bit of everything—operations, marketing, hiring, whatever needed to get done. As we grew, building systems and processes was another challenge because what works for one restaurant doesn’t always work for multiple locations.

Finding good people is still one of the biggest challenges. You can have a great concept, but without the right team, it’s hard to grow. Looking back, those challenges made me a better operator and leader.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Pink Lotus is my way of showing people that Thai food is much more than Pad Thai and green curry. The concept is inspired by all four regions of Thailand and features dishes that many people may have never tried before.

I wanted to create a place where guests can experience the flavors I grew up with while still feeling welcoming and approachable. Everything is rooted in authentic Thai cooking, but we pay a lot of attention to presentation, service, and the overall experience.

What I’m most proud of is that people trust us to introduce them to something new. Seeing guests order dishes they’ve never heard of and come back for them is one of the best compliments we can get.

I want people to know that Pink Lotus is more than just another Thai restaurant. It’s our way of sharing Thai culture, regional flavors, and dishes that deserve more recognition.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me, success isn’t just about money or opening more restaurants. It’s being able to build something that lasts, create opportunities for my team, and watch people grow with the company.

Success is also having the freedom to do what I want. When I opened my first restaurant, I was just trying to make it work. Now I’m in a position where I can bring new concepts to Atlanta and show people a different side of Thai food.

A lot of people think Thai food is just Pad Thai and spicy food. It’s not. Thai food is bold, flavorful, and different from region to region. That’s how I grew up eating. Being able to share that with people and introduce dishes they may have never tried before is something I’m really proud of.

If I’m still learning, still growing, and still able to create, that’s success to me.