Pong Patanan, the Director of the Thai La Ong restaurant group, takes a seat at the table today to share how a family-run Thai restaurant that opened in 1999 evolved into a growing restaurant group powered by adaptability, marketing, and mindset. From sleeping under the counter as a kid to walking away from a career in environmental consulting, Pong reveals how an MBA and two pivotal moments in class gave him the self-belief to go all in, back himself, and expand Thai La Ong beyond its original Newtown roots.

This episode is a candid look at modern restaurant growth: funding a new venue against his own home, opening just before COVID hit, repurposing staff instead of making redundancies, and discovering that visibility plus compelling offers can transform revenue. It’s a story about calculated risk, resilience and embracing change in an industry that never stands still.

You’ll also hear:
Why Thai family meals are all about sharing
The risky Parramatta expansion that paid off
How opening just before COVID forced him to rethink everything
What he learned working at Panda Express in New York
Why combining ads and offers dramatically boosted sales

Pong Patanan, the Director of the Thai La Ong restaurant group, takes a seat at the table today to share how a family-run Thai restaurant that opened in 1999 evolved into a growing restaurant group powered by adaptability, marketing, and mindset. From sleeping under the counter as a kid to walking away from a career in environmental consulting, Pong reveals how an MBA and two pivotal moments in class gave him the self-belief to go all in, back himself, and expand Thai La Ong beyond its original Newtown roots.
This episode is a candid look at modern restaurant growth: funding a new venue against his own home, opening just before COVID hit, repurposing staff instead of making redundancies, and discovering that visibility plus compelling offers can transform revenue. It&rsquo;s a story about calculated risk, resilience and embracing change in an industry that never stands still.
You&rsquo;ll also hear:
<ul>
<li>Why Thai family meals are all about sharing</li>
<li>The risky Parramatta expansion that paid off</li>
<li>How opening just before COVID forced him to rethink everything</li>
<li>What he learned working at Panda Express in New York</li>
<li>Why combining ads and offers dramatically boosted sales</li>
</ul>

At The Table takes you behind the scenes of your favourite eats, and into the stories of the people who built them.

Hosted by Alana Brittain, who leads the Uber Eats ANZ team partnering with restaurants every day, the show sits down with some of Australia’s most passionate restaurant owners and operators to unpack how they started, scaled and stayed resilient in a fast-moving industry.

From family-run institutions to national names, each episode explores the real story behind the menu, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the decisions that turned great food into thriving businesses.

Plus, in every episode, you will unlock an exclusive Uber Eats promo code, so you can order exactly what we are talking about to taste for yourself. 

Pull up a seat. This is At The Table.

At The Table takes you behind the scenes of your favourite eats, and into the stories of the people who built them.
Hosted by Alana Brittain, who leads the Uber Eats ANZ team partnering with restaurants every day, the show sits down with some of Australia&rsquo;s most passionate restaurant owners and operators to unpack how they started, scaled and stayed resilient in a fast-moving industry.
From family-run institutions to national names, each episode explores the real story behind the menu, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the decisions that turned great food into thriving businesses.
Plus, in every episode, you will unlock an exclusive Uber Eats promo code, so you can order exactly what we are talking about to taste for yourself.&nbsp;
Pull up a seat. This is At The Table.

At The Table

At the table takes you behind the scenes of your favourite eats, and into the stories of the people who built them.

Hosted by Alana Brittain, Director of Restaurants ANZ, who leads the Uber Eats team dedicated to the daily growth and success of restaurant partners, the show sits down with some of Australia’s most passionate restaurant owners and operators to unpack how they started, scaled and stayed resilient in a fast-moving industry.

From family-run institutions to national names, each episode explores the real story behind the menu, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the decisions that turned great food into thriving businesses.

Plus, in every episode, you will unlock an exclusive Uber Eats promo code, so you can order exactly what we are talking about to taste for yourself. 

Pull up a seat. This is at the table.

At the table takes you behind the scenes of your favourite eats, and into the stories of the people who built them.
Hosted by Alana Brittain, Director of Restaurants ANZ, who leads the Uber Eats team dedicated to the daily growth and success of restaurant partners, the show sits down with some of Australia&rsquo;s most passionate restaurant owners and operators to unpack how they started, scaled and stayed resilient in a fast-moving industry.
From family-run institutions to national names, each episode explores the real story behind the menu, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the decisions that turned great food into thriving businesses.
Plus, in every episode, you will unlock an exclusive&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;Eats&nbsp;promo code, so you can order exactly what we are talking about to taste for yourself.&nbsp;
Pull up a seat. This is at the table.