Pie Crust cafe menu may have changed from its origins but it is an insitution in East London
When Suchin and Sujin moved to London from Thailand in the 70s, they had no plans to open a restaurant. It was only a couple of years later that Suchin decided he wanted to run his own cafe to provide for his family.
While living in London, he had become fond of ‘greasy spoon’ type cafes and full English breakfasts. That is what led him to stumble upon a greasy spoon in the heart of East London, which is now a London favourite for a whole different cuisine.
His son Gazza told MyLondon: “He always said, people got to eat. He found this cafe and bought it in 1984. The entire family moved here, and we lived above the cafe. It became our home, our business and livelihoods. The couple who ran it before us helped teach my parents how to make a full English and how to make their tea and coffee.
“My parents ran it as a proper cafe, but like many other Thai families in the 80s, they started adding a bit more Thai food to the menu during lunch hours. After a few years, they started opening in the evening. My parents would be working from 7am to 11pm. The only break they would have is around 3pm when they’d come to pick me up from school.”
Pie Crust had been run by Gazza’s mum, Sujin, and his two aunties. His mum is now 75, and they were too close to wanting to close down. However, Gazza, who worked in the civil service, didn’t want to see his family business end. After COVID, the restaurant pivoted to becoming Thai-food only as the type of people in Stratford changed as well as what they wanted.
Gazza said: “Those blue-collar workers who came in early doors for a full English started to come in less. Instead, we were getting young professionals who worked in the city and would come back in the evening, wanting Thai food. When COVID hit, Thai food eventually became our staple. That’s what everyone was coming for.
“I’ve got my own family, and I was comfortable in my previous job, but I knew in the back of my head, if I didn’t come back and help the business and it closed, I’d have regretted it for the rest of my life. I told them, ‘What if I come back and help out?’ If it fails, then at least I could live with no regrets, but if it goes well, then great.”
Going great is exactly what has happened. One year on from his return, Pie Crust has been getting a lot of attention on social media in recent months, but that isn’t new. They were featured in the Evening Standard as one of London’s top 10 ethnic restaurants back in the 90s. Now, it is becoming one of London’s most popular spots thanks to social media.
The new popularity, though, has come with challenges, such as the team having to increase its grocery runs to accommodate the influx of new customers. They had to buy a new fridge to make more space for extra stock, gave the cafe some ‘TLC’, and so far the results are positive, even if it is coming at the expense of increasing grey hairs on Gazza.
“It’s been one year being back and it’s been nice. I get to spend a lot more time with my mum and aunt. These are precious moments. My mum and aunt don’t need to be working and could easily retire but this is their life. She doesn’t like when I call her 75, so I prefer saying she’s 25 x 3. They’ve been doing this for so many decades. They know people who have come here and their children, and now their children’s children. There’s a sense of community here
“There are times I think we are getting too busy, and I can see my mum looking exhausted and tired, but she tells me she’s enjoying it. We stick together as a family, and we cover each other’s backs. It’s nice to see the love and appreciation we get from the community and the ones who understand that we are killing ourselves to keep this going. We’ve been growing and getting busier; we’ve started seeing queues outside the door again”, Gazza continued.
“We’re a small family business doing our best to provide for everyone. I’ve learnt a lot about myself and have a new appreciation for what my mum and dad had to endure over the decades. Running a family business in the UK is also very precarious. This increase in the minimum wage will have an impact. There are all these things to worry about.
“I’m conscious of how things could go, but I’m going to try to keep going for as long as I can. I know it won’t last forever, but I’m going to enjoy our time in the sunshine, our time with customers, and their happiness with our service and food. Most importantly, the time spent with my mum, dad, and aunties.
Pie Crust is located at 273 High St, London E15 2TF. It is open between 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 11pm.
