ST. LOUIS — In response to the surge in crimes targeting Asian-Americans, a local St. Louis restaurant is hoping to make a difference.
Thai restaurant Chao Baan has announced it will donate 10% of dine-in and carry-out sales from each Tuesday’s dinner service, through a program called ‘Dining Out to #StopAAPIHate’.
The program kicks off Tuesday, March 23, and runs through April 27.
All donations will go to the Atlanta chapter of Asian American Advancing Justice and Stop AAPI Hate.
The initiative of these organizations is to stop hate crimes, incidents of discrimination and xenophobia against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Chao Baan’s giveback series is personal for Owner Shayn Prapaisilp, who is a member of the board of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce.
“The work that Stop AAPI Hate and the Atlanta chapter of Asian Americans Advancing Justice is more important now than ever,” says Chief Operating Officer of Global Foods Group and Owner of Chao Baan Shayn Prapaislip. “As members of the Asian American community in St. Louis, my family and I were shocked and grieving after the mass shooting in Atlanta, GA on Tuesday. Too many acts of xenophobia and violence go unreported and unaddressed, and we hope to bring awareness and support through our dining out efforts at Chao Baan.”
The Prapaisilp family pioneered familiarity with Thai cuisine in St. Louis through their first restaurant, King & I, which opened more than three decades ago.
“While my family feels grateful for the support from the St. Louis community over the last three decades, Asian American communities across our country have been marginalized, discriminated against, and even killed for far too long. It’s important for us to support the vital work of organizations who are fighting for the rights of Asian Americans and marginalized groups across the country like AAPI Hate and the Atlanta chapter of Asian Americans Advancing Justice.”
Chao Baan is located in the Grove neighborhood on Chouteau Ave.
For more information on Chao Baan and the team, visit their website.