Whether it was a quick stop between classes or a weekend treat-yourself splurge, No Thai! on Grand River Avenue became a go-to for many Michigan State University students.
The Thai takeout spot served up generous portions in sturdy black plastic containers — often reused by students in campus apartments and dorm kitchens.
Now, No Thai! is staying true to its name. The East Lansing location announced on May 9 that it would permanently close, with signs posted on the door and an update shared on its website. The news came without much warning or reason, leaving some MSU students and alumni surprised and disappointed.
Attempts to reach the owner of No Thai! for comment were unsuccessful before publication.
"It was always like my sister and I’s spot," Jake Kutilek, a 2024 MSU graduate who studied hospitality business said. "When I would come to visit her in college we'd get No Thai!, and after she graduated she would visit me and that was our place."
Kutilek was one of their late-night customers. After a long day of craving chicken Pad Thai, he couldn’t say no.
"I’d be hungry all day and finally go get it at dinner time," he said. "It was like a ten out of ten every time."
It wasn’t just the food he loved — he also appreciated their sturdy, reusable to-go containers.
"They were so clutch," he said. "I was a constant reuser of their containers. One of the only places in East Lansing where you could keep using the to-go box and it’d hold up."
For others, No Thai! was more about convenience and reliability than nostalgia.
"I would go once a week, which is crazy, or sometimes every other week," Aida Soltanian, who graduated this May with a degree in mechanical engineering, said. "It was very conveniently located, but also it had really good portions. So if I wanted an actual meal or to save leftovers that was my go to when I wanted something bigger."
Soltanian and Kutilek appreciated that No Thai! wasn’t another fast food chain downtown.
"I was really, really bummed," Kutilek said. "I was honestly shocked because I don't think they really said why they closed, but I thought it was pretty popular. I might have to make the trek to Ann Arbor, even though I'm a Spartan, to eat it again."
As one of the few independent eateries on a chain-heavy strip, No Thai!’s closure is more than just the loss of a go-to meal — it’s a reminder of how quickly local favorites can fade without notice.
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