It’s crunch time, Saturday evening, 5 p.m. As usual, Degthai is packed, with a line stretching out the door toward Nolensville Road. But head cook and newly minted manager Tee Charoensuk , 31, remains unperturbed. Like a calm quarterback breaking huddle, he deftly directs his team—two to his left and two to his right—into position behind their own line, the cooking stations that face a rushing hungry crowd.
Each of Tee’s team members is a seasoned veteran, well trained for this moment. Each knows their job: listen for Tee’s audibles and execute accordingly. Each knows there is no “I” in team—unless spelled phonetically in Thai, in which case there actually is an “I.” And each knows the goal: produce and serve fresh, authentic Thai cuisine. Tee’s team brings their A-game to the table with each dish. Degthai repeatedly earns kudos for “best Thai street food” in town, but it’s not easy. Some customers’ special requests challenge the team: pad Thai with extra chicken but no eggs? “It doesn’t have to make sense!” Tee coaches his team in Thai, giving them a bilingual and high-adrenaline home field advantage. “They asked for it, and we’re going to give it to them!”
And deliver it, they do. Tee and his team fill an average of 250 1-quart bowls every 30 minutes. On a typical Saturday evening, Degthai will dole out some 600 servings of pad Thai alone. Such an extraordinary pace requires extraordinary effort and coordination, and Tee can see what makes his team successful: their care for each other. “We are like a family here,” Tee says, speaking both figuratively and literally.
In fact, his own sister brought him aboard, as a kitchen expeditor, three years ago. Then Degthai founder and owner Jirapong “Jay” Jenratha promoted him to chief cook and manager. “Teamwork isn’t just about working together,” Jay says. “It’s about supporting each other like family. In a fast-paced kitchen, every person plays a vital role, and when we move as one, we create more than just great food; we create an experience. That sense of trust and unity is what makes Degthai special, both for our team and our customers.”
