Pias & Trevor Bring Bangkok to Bed-Stuy

Pias is something special. We met through friends of friends from Chicago and I have been a beneficiary of her kindness, inclusivity, and hospitality. Pias and her husband Trevor have created one of the most special restaurants in NYC and some of the best Thai food the city has to offer (for those familiar with the Thai food game in New York—that means a lot). Check out Little Grenjai if you have not. They do a Thai smash burger—with fresh Thai basil, XO sauce, Thai giardiniera (shout out Chi-Town), American cheese (they don’t F around), all on a sesame bun. It’s so, so good and I won’t admit how many of these I have eaten.

There are a lot of reasons why I respect Pias, beyond her kindness, grounded energy, and mischievous sense of humor which I adore. She’s taken real risks in her life to pursue love and her dreams. As I’ve gotten to know Pias and Trevor, I’ve seen the sacrifices, choices, and courage it takes to open a business in the ever-evolving and cut-throat food industry in NYC. What I admire most is their sense of lightness, partnership, and humanity in connecting with fellow business owners, their employees, customers, friends and their community—qualities that set them apart in an industry that can take a lot from you.

Beyond her hard work, Pias also has tremendous taste. She designed the whole restaurant, which is diner-style, with red and white tile from Morocco, chrome stools, and iconography and merch cooler than any streetwear brand. Her personal style I also j’adore—undone Oxfords, baddie bralettes, bright and boyish basketball shorts, layered necklaces, chunky earrings, hair up in clips—breezy, fun. The coolest girl in Bed-Stuy!

Pias sitting in her favorite corner booth in Little Grenjai.

Cozy and light bar seating.

Helen

P! Could you share some background—where you grew up in Thailand, your family, and values from your childhood?

Pias

I grew up in Thailand, an only child. The truth is, I was a spoiled brat – until my parents sent me to boarding school at thirteen. At first I was excited to be on my own, but then I got homesick. It was also the first time I was living with so many other girls my age — and honestly, I didn’t know how to handle it. I had no siblings and suddenly I was thrown into this intense environment.

I’ll admit, I even bullied people at the beginning, and I hated myself for that. But then I got bullied back because I was so bad. This was the best lesson I could’ve had. Boarding school taught me how to live with people, how to think about how my words and actions affect others. My mom finally told me: “Before you say something, think about how the other person will feel.” That advice stuck with me. From then on I started to pause and really consider other people, and that shaped how I approach friendships, relationships, and later, work.

By sixteen, I’d had enough of boarding school, so my parents let me return to public school in Bangkok for two years. After that I went to college, and at first I wanted to study fashion design. I got in, but my dad, who was a contractor, encouraged me to reconsider. He reminded me that since I was little I’d been fascinated by interiors. I would drag my parents through furniture stores, wanting to look at all the design details. And he was right. I decided to switch into interior design.

After graduating, I worked briefly at a product design company, then for a gallery in Bangkok run by a German and Spanish couple. I stayed there for four years before they eventually moved abroad. Even now, when we travel to Miami or Mexico City, we visit them. Those early jobs, those relationships, and that training still connect me back to those earlier experiences in Thailand.

Helen

What does “Grenjai” mean, and why choose it for the restaurant?

Pias

There isn’t a perfect English translation. Grenjai is about being considerate —avoiding inconveniencing others and being humble. So, using it in the restaurant name, we are poking fun of that concept a bit. We want to cook the food we want and make it spicy like it should be.

Helen

I love that. It’s tongue-in-cheek because of course you are still being very hospitable, but just doing things in your own way.

Pias

Yes, so that’s why it’s Little Grenjai!

Helen

Switching gears a bit—tell me about meeting Trevor and your decision to move to New York.

Pias

We met on Tinder in 2016—my first Tinder date (his too). I wasn’t thinking of romance – I wanted to practice English (laughs). Trevor wanted a local tour guide. Our first date was at a nightclub where my friend was DJing, but we ended up outside talking about life for hours. Second date, third date—suddenly, it felt different. We traveled around Asia together, and then decided I’d move to the U.S.

A tourist visa from Thailand is notoriously hard to get, so we pursued a different visa. We were apart for seven months—texting and calling—while I worried about paperwork, cost, and whether it would work out. When I was approved, my parents—despite me being their only child—told me, “If you’re happy, we’re happy.”

Trevor

I hated how long it took, but I felt it would work out. While we waited, I was laying groundwork for our ideas. I’d bought an old hot-dog cart on Craigslist to pop up behind bars and bring Bangkok street food to New York. We did that for about six months before it became a food truck.

Helen

How was the move for you emotionally, Pias?

Pias

I was excited to be with Trevor, but the culture shock was intense. I felt like I lost my independent, outgoing self and became dependent on him. Over time I learned that many people need years to feel settled in New York. It took me about three years. It wasn't really until the pandemic and when we quarantined in the Hamptons where things started to change for me. Every time we drove back and saw the skyline I thought, “I missed this.” Now, New York feels like home.

Helen

Beyond the restaurant, what do the next five years look like?

Trevor

We’re focused on bringing a child into the world. We waited—travel, building the business—and now we feel ready. We’ve been trying for about a year without luck so far. Beyond that, I am ambitious about the picture I have about running businesses in other places—like in Mexico City and Thailand. It’s a crazy ambitious plan, but we would love to live our lives bouncing around and traveling.

Pias

We love traveling and really share that vision.

Helen

Tell us a little more about where you are with the business today. There have definitely been ups and downs — from a prolonged opening and then what felt like almost immediate press and hype.

Trevor

We signed the lease in 2022 and didn’t open until 2024—which was a long two years. We had a little proof of concept and encouragement that came from our pop-ups, the food truck, and private dinners in the Hamptons, but we were still floored by the response: we opened to a line out the door and attention from major outlets. Never in our wildest dreams did we think that would happen.

Pias

The first year is all excitement and adrenaline. In the second year, you really learn the business. We’re in that phase—still learning every day.

Trevor

At first it felt like the waitlist would never end. It was crazy for anyone to get a reservation for 7 to 8 months. Friends of ours in the business warned us it wouldn’t stay like that forever, and they were right. Many places don’t make it past the initial burst. I’m proud to see us evolve into the neighborhood spot we always wanted: a place you can walk into and reliably get a seat, be treated well, and have a great meal. That’s what we really envisioned for us anyways. We’re happy it’s settled into its mature place.

Pias

Little Grenjai is both our worlds together: Trevor cooks amazing food and I’ve designed the mood and space. To see that come to life is just amazing.

Helen

I think what’s special about Little Grenjai is that it’s small, but what you’ve done with the space is incredible. I don’t know if you agree, but I feel like constraints are what make spaces unique. It’s hard to make a big, square room feel special. With a smaller, more confined space, you’re forced to think creatively—and that can bring out so much character and personality. What do you think about that and what was your ultimate vision for the space?

Pias

I definitely agree with that. Little Grenjai is really small and the location itself is situated in the middle of Bed-Stuy. Our type of business definitely stood out in the neighborhood — so we recognized we needed to introduce ourselves to the neighborhood and earn support. Design-wise, we wanted a space that was approachable, bright, and cozy — a diner-vibe with checked floor and subway tile. Not an over-the-top diner (laughs), because that’s not my style.

Our branding centers on three colors—red, white, blue—so the space pops with red. The first set of vintage-style chairs looked great but weren’t sturdy enough, so we custom-made stronger ones. We wanted fluted table rims with glossy red tops. The bar stools came from Italy, in two slightly different heights. I love that imperfection. For the back-bar pattern, we originally considered glass blocks, but found Moroccan tiles and went with those. The art came from Thailand—pieces we found while traveling—framed and hung as the final touch. People tell us the space feels bright, airy, and inviting. That makes me happy.

Pias' favorite red and white Moroccan tile.

Little Grenjai merch, art from Bangkok, and pops of red.

Helen

So there were some future concepts mentioned, can you tell us more about those and what you envision?

Trevor

We could do another Little Grenjai in the city—that would be smart—but we’re also excited to push into cocktails and great bar food. We have matching cocktail tattoos, like some big nerds (laughs). I love martinis, Manhattans, a Vesper—classics. We'd love to do a small, stylish cocktail spot with a tight menu. I’d also love a bigger restaurant after living with 32 seats.

Pias

It’s such a privilege to design your own space. It’s so much different than designing a project for someone else — this space is really just me. I need to feel and see it in my head first. Luckily, Trevor and I are usually aligned. The cocktail bar is going to be small and stylish — and with a great fried chicken sandwich (laughs).

Helen

You guys throw some of my favorite parties— including the notorious Would Smash parties and the recent block party!

Pias

Yes—the Would Smash parties you’ve been to!

Trevor

Those grew out of events we did with our friend (and DJ) Nick Castle from Chicago, whose sweet spot is R&B. We paired R&B with smash burgers at Little Grenjai, then took it to other venues like Mr. Mellow in Williamsburg. I’ve thrown parties since I moved to New York. It's how I connect with people and build community. I used to do rooftop parties in Williamsburg. We would get hundreds of people. It was fun.

The block party was a more mature version of that spirit. My friend Eddie—who I met at those original rooftop parties—helped bring in an organization we love: One Love Community Fridges. We have a fridge outside of Little Grenjai and have raised money for them. It was a no-brainer to give back to the neighborhood that welcomed us. Eddie and I both loved seeing it all come full circle.

Pias

One Love partners with grocers or bakers to share food with people who need it. We were so touched by that and wanted to be a part of it. Then we thought, let’s throw a block party as a thank-you to the community. Our first one last month was a big success—street food, Stretch Armstrong DJing, people coming out in support. A perfect way to cap the summer.

Helen

Such a huge success. As a last question, what are you most proud of—in life and in your relationship?

Pias

I am proud of us and I am proud of Little Grenjai. I never thought I’d come to New York and open a restaurant. Once at night Trevor asked me, “Did you ever think you’d end up here?” Absolutely not! Trevor’s past passion was rap; now he’s a chef and we opened a F-ing restaurant together (laughs). It’s huge.

Trevor

When we first opened, there were a lot of tears—seeing people fill the space and what it means to them. It’s a massive accomplishment.

Pias

Sometimes we'll look at each other in the middle of service, and out at the dining room and think, “What did we just do?” We’ll start crying. And yeah (laughs), the rest is just history!