Brother Thai has revealed a long-term ambition to grow to five company-owned restaurants.
The independent Thai street food brand said the opening of its second site has demonstrated the concept’s potential beyond its Cardiff roots.
Brother Thai opened at 104 Stokes Croft in Bristol in April 2026, five years after launching its first permanent restaurant on Whitchurch Road in Cardiff.
The expansion followed the brand’s strongest year of trading to date, as the business continued its development from a street-food pop-up into an established multi-site restaurant operator.
Across its two restaurants, Brother Thai now employs more than 30 people.
Founder Andrew Chongsathien said the Bristol opening had given the company confidence in the wider potential of the brand, while also highlighting the operational work required to grow sustainably.
He said: “Opening a second restaurant has changed the way we think about the future of Brother Thai.
“It has taken us from being a successful Cardiff restaurant to becoming a multi-city brand.
“That is a massive milestone because it shows the concept can connect with people somewhere new.
“We have always believed there was wider potential in Brother Thai, but the second site is where we begin proving that properly.”
Brother Thai began as a pop-up in Cardiff in 2015, initially serving a more traditional Thai menu.
In 2016, Chongsathien created the Sticky Beef Roti, which would go on to define the business.
The dish features a flaky paratha filled with fresh slaw, herbs, sauces and Thai-inspired flavours, designed to be folded and eaten by hand.
The Sticky Beef Roti gave Brother Thai a clear point of difference within the growing street-food market.
It continues to distinguish the brand from more traditional Thai restaurant concepts.
Brother Thai went on to trade at markets, festivals and street-food events across South Wales and beyond.
Cardiff in 2015, initially serving a more traditional Thai menu.
In 2016, Chongsathien created the Sticky Beef Roti, which would go on to define the business.
The dish features a flaky paratha filled with fresh slaw, herbs, sauces and Thai-inspired flavours, designed to be folded and eaten by hand.
The Sticky Beef Roti gave Brother Thai a clear point of difference within the growing street-food market.
It continues to distinguish the brand from more traditional Thai restaurant concepts.
BrotherThis included regular appearances at Bristol Harbourside from 2018.
Its first bricks-and-mortar restaurant opened on Whitchurch Road in Cardiff in July 2021.
The menu has since evolved beyond its street-food roots to include rice bowls, noodles, small plates and cocktails alongside its signature rotis.
Five years of operating, refining and growing the Cardiff restaurant provided the foundation for Brother Thai’s move into a second city.
Chongsathien said: “Cardiff gave us the foundations, but opening a second site is showing us what it takes to operate Brother Thai in more than one place.
“It has been exciting, but also a huge learning curve.
“You quickly realise that you cannot simply copy and paste a successful restaurant into another city and expect the same result.
“Every city and every neighbourhood is different.
“The important thing is protecting what makes Brother Thai distinctive while allowing each restaurant to become part of its own local community.”
The company’s longer-term ambition is to build a group of five restaurants, growing regionally through company-owned sites rather than franchising.
Chongsathien said the five-site target is deliberately undated.
The immediate priority is to establish consistent performance across the existing restaurants before progressing with site three.
He said: “I genuinely believe Brother Thai has the potential to become a national brand, but we will get there by growing regionally and building strong foundations.
“The ambition is five sites, with scope to develop further, but we are deliberately not putting a deadline on it.
“Our priority is sustainable growth that protects the quality of the food, the customer experience and the culture that makes Brother Thai what it is.”
Chongsathien plans to develop a regional cluster of restaurants that can be supported effectively by the brand’s existing team and operating structure.
Bristol was selected as the second location due to its proximity to Cardiff, Brother Thai’s existing audience in the city and the strength of its independent hospitality scene.
He added: “We had traded in Bristol for years and knew people already connected with the food.
“It was also close enough for us to support properly while testing whether the concept could succeed outside Cardiff.
“As we grow, we will continue looking at vibrant cities with strong independent food scenes and neighbourhoods where Brother Thai can genuinely become part of the local community.”
Future options could include a second Cardiff restaurant, another city within the wider region or a new neighbourhood that fits the Brother Thai brand.
Chongsathien said: “The temptation would be to say, ‘Right, site two is open – let’s find site three.’
“But experience has taught us to be more considered.
“The hospitality industry is facing well-documented challenges, from increasing staffing and fuel costs to the VAT burden on businesses, so there must be a balance between ambition and patience.
“Every new location has to strengthen the brand, not stretch it.
“The most important thing is building something sustainable that lasts.”