Nibbles & Sips: ‘More authentic’ Thai restaurant coming to Sugar Land | Business & Real Estate

Narong Ratanaarporn has lived in Richmond for the last 12 years. The entrepreneur from Bangok, Thailand arrived in Houston in 1976 and launched a mini-chain of restaurants, starting with the flagship Thai Spice in Rice Village in 1995. 

He has restaurants across the Houston area, but has yet to launch one in Fort Bend County. That will change this summer. 

“I noticed that we have lots of customers down in the Sugar Land area,” Ratanaarporn said. “The closest location to them is Thai Spice Express at Bellaire Boulevard in the Chinatown area. And now we get to move directly into Sugar Land.” 

Ratanaarporn has plans to open Zapvor by Thai Spice, a “more authentic” version of the restaurant chain he and his wife have managed for decades, in May or June.

“In the Thai (language), zapvor means ‘wow, delicious,’” he said. “When Thai…