An unassuming Airstream trailer parked outside Horrocks Farm Market in Lansing has served enough customers over the years to make a line "at least to Detroit," Mai said.

Life in Thailand

Mai, a Thai immigrant who moved to the United States in 2015, has been working to make her dreams a reality.

"The American dream is for real. I tell you, it’s real. You only have to work hard," she said.

Growing up in Chiang Rai, Thailand, Mai’s family was so poor they shared one pair of flip-flops that she and her siblings shared on their walks to school. As a child, she never imagined coming to America; she was busy caring for her siblings while her parents worked as farmers.

"Everybody around you have a hard life too, so you really don’t know what you’re missing," Mai said. "I always remember myself when I was eight years old. I think I have a strong view, you know? I say, God help me, I do something for my family. I’ll be the one."

The American Dream

When Mai came to the U.S., she worked as a nanny and juggled multiple jobs. One day in New York city, she had a realization that she was truly on her own. 

"Everybody is just rushing in life, and I’m just one of them," Mai said, recalling a moment on the subway carrying a backpack bigger than her body, but no one stopped to help her. 

Eventually, she met her husband, Mark, online. He had always dreamed of running a food truck. Together, they made it happen.

"He taught me, we learned from YouTube, and we asked people," Mai said, describing how they built their four-wok kitchen inside an old Airstream trailer. 

It wasn’t easy. They spent late nights installing insulation and riveting the ceiling by hand.

The Eato Chef truck soft-launched in the parking lot of a Tractor Supply in Jackson, Michigan, in July 2020.

Later moving to Lansing, she dreamed of moving to Horrocks. She was able to secure one day a week — Mondays, the least desirable day for food trucks. That changed quickly. 

Shortly after launching, customers were waiting in lawn chairs before she even opened. 

"Me and Mark still have a picture, (customers) were sitting in an umbrella chair, just relaxing," Mai said. 

The truck became a year-round fixture in Horrocks’ beer garden. Now, with a trained team, Mai has built a devoted client base. 

Pad thai philosophy 

"The hard part is not about the opening, it’s about how to keep it going and make it right for the guests," Mai said. "I try to treat them the best I can, and have a unique experience — fine dining, even though it’s not sitting down."

Originally she planned to open a Thai soup truck inspired by her sister’s childhood business. Selling soup on a hot Michigan summer day made her change those plans, so she introduced pad thai to the menu — a change that proved so popular she stopped making the soup altogether. 

'We cook everybody food when they order fresh," Mai said. "I don’t want to be popular or very busy, and then I can’t handle them, and they get mad."

She doesn't advertise, and has never done a local media interview before.

 "The reason I don’t do press? I have good business in Horrocks, and that’s all I can handle," she said.

Mai is meticulous about every step of her dish, down to the placement of the lime, chives and peanuts.

 "You don’t put the lime on the noodle, it gets greasy," Mai said. "It goes on top of the chive in the corner, and you add peanuts last to the other corner."

Eato Food also offers eight levels of spice to completely customize the pad thai.

She also credits her team: "One of the best on my team, Alex — he’s super fast, all day long, don't take a break," she said.

Another employee, Chanicha, also from Thailand, works full time. "I really appreciate her help."

Eato Food future

However, the Eato Chef food truck’s time in Lansing has come to an end. Citing Michigan's harsh weather, Mai has decided to take the business to Florida. 

In a farewell Facebook post to Michiganders, Mai asked her dedicated online community to support her team in Michigan after she leaves.

"People that I don’t know before, every year, they give me bread, they give me Christmas gifts," Mai said. Some drive from Grand Rapids or Detroit just for her pad thai. She even keeps a book that out of state customers sign for her. 

"You see that outside?" she said, gesturing to a long line of customers. "That’s the time we open and the time we close." Mai said. Some nights, the team doesn’t get home until 1 or 2 a.m.

Customer Chris Tyler, with his son Juniper, lined up an hour early on Mai’s final day in Lansing. They’ve been regulars since 2020. 

"I was actually thinking about it standing in line, visiting her in Florida would be nice," Tyler said. 

Another regular, Sally Wah, has been coming since 2020. 

"This is the third time we’ve come since we heard they were closing last week," Wah said. "Nothing compares to it." 

Mai’s departure is prompted by Michigan’s unforgiving winters.

"Insulation two layer, and we put the heater in here, but it won’t fight the winter," Mai said. "It just can’t take it, every year we got something to fix, you know?"

Her future plans include launching a nationwide chain — a pad thai drive-thru inspired by Chick-fil-A.

"Anybody can eat pad thai in a Thai restaurant, and I’m going to do something different," Mai said. "What I’m doing here, it prove that people will support the food."

She’s even drafted blueprints for the next concept: a 24-wok kitchen, drive-thru only, but still rooted in the Airstream design that launched her business. 

"It’s about who you are. It’s about you, what your passion and you stick to it," Mai said.

Thinking back to the dish she once never imagined selling, Mai paused.

"I (didn't) like to cook pad thai (in) the beginning," she said. "Right now, I cannot be thankful enough for the pad thai."