Stuff Plant’s shop in Hollywood is the hub of creatives next to a Thai restaurant

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Growing up in the largest Thai community in the country, Belle Dankongkakul learned about hard work and perseverance by watching her mother work until 4 a.m. every day at her family’s Thai-Chinese restaurant, Torung.

Looking back, she says that the LA restaurant and her family informed who she is today. For example, when his aunt gave him money at a sixth birthday party held at the restaurant, his mother scolded him and asked to give it back immediately.

“She said, ‘Do you know how hard she works for this money? Dankongkakul now remembers. “‘You see how hard she works in the kitchen?’ As a kid, I was so mad and sad, but I gave it back.”

Inspired by his mother, Dankongkakul, 32, now works two full-time jobs, runs his Plant Shop Stuff by day and cooks pad thai and curries, waiting tables – even washing dishes – most nights until midnight Makes.

“I think growing up and working in the service industry, your whole life, in general, molds a person,” she says. “You learn how to do a lot, and you know how to work hard in a fast-paced environment.”

She opened Stuff next to the restaurant three years ago after leaving her corporate job as a visual merchandiser. In what she describes as a “classic Millennial plant pivot,” she asked her mother if she could take the restaurant’s storage unit and open the space to Los Angeles creatives.

Visual merchandising may not have attracted him as a profession, but his artistic talent shines through in Stuff, where gifts and ceramics by Los Angeles artists are elegantly displayed among a wide selection of tropical plants and succulents. are done. There are handmade weavings and funky velor macrame planters by Dapper House Menagerie, delicate ceramics by LA-based Thai ceramicists Eco Azure and Concrete Geometric, affordable-priced vintage clothing, candles and plant items – potting clay, mister, plant food and tools . His warmth and sense of humor are reflected in the products he chooses, including tiny planters dripping with sparkling disco balls, miniature grab-and-go succulents, and a discounted “Sad Plants Sale.”

Although her store is filled with plants, she is most interested in highlighting local artists and bringing people into her community. I recently caught up with Dankongkakul to talk about why this matters and what lies ahead.

The obvious question: What inspired you to open the Plant Shop?

I am your typical millennial plant spindle story. When I graduated from college, I got a corporate job and was miserable. So I made a plan, saved my money and started my own business. My mom is a hoarder when it comes to restaurant supplies and uses my shop now for storage. I renovated it and turned it into a shop.

Basically, I wanted to start a co-working business because I’ve always wanted to work with other creatives and create beautiful things. I tried for a while, but when the pandemic struck, I turned to plants.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your business?

It wasn’t terrible. Everyone was at home and wanted plants. This affected my road traffic and made me think of taking delivery and selling things online. But I don’t want to ship the plants. I’m not about it.

I don’t want to put any more trash in the world. I just want to bring people into our Thai town community.

Does watching your family run a restaurant inspire you as a small business owner?

I would say that growing up in restaurants and my mother have been my biggest influences. When I was little, I barely even saw my mother because she was working every day from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. in a late night Thai restaurant on Taurung Hollywood Boulevard. She is the most giving person I know. I think this is why it is so important for me to be a part of this community and give back.

I’m glad you asked me about my family. That’s why I’ve been able to stay open here.

Your Plant Shop is a fun surprise among all the restaurants on Hollywood Boulevard.

I grew up in this neighborhood, and it’s great to see it, and many other small businesses grow on Hollywood Boulevard. Thai Town means a lot to me.

Both my grandparents moved from China to Thailand and my parents were there. Then, my parents moved to California separately and met in Torung. So technically, I am Chinese by blood but culturally, I am Thai.

There is a lot of potential in this block. I can’t wait to see it take off.

Your store’s plant mural definitely deserves a neighborhood beautification.

I wanted the shop to pop. The mural was done by Majalene Aquino. We met at a ceramics studio, and it turns out she lived nearby, so she worked here with me until I got pregnant. He is an artist, so I asked him to paint a mural. I love being able to give those opportunities to people if I can.

What is it like to run two businesses at once?

Things are busy. A kitchen worker is gone for a month so I am at the plant store from 11am to 5pm and at the restaurant from 5am to midnight.

I was washing dishes in the back for two months, because it was impossible to find a dishwasher. Most of our kitchen workers have been here for more than 10 years. Washing dishes is a dirty job that no one wants to do. Everything is so expensive right now. It’s a good time for plants but not for restaurants.

What is Torung known for?

We take pride in our Shrimp Cakes and Egg Rolls. We make ours. Not everyone makes them at home.

Your store in LA. Nice to see so many items made in

I try and source everything locally. Stability is very important to me. Right now, I like to feature a local producer each month and create a small exhibition for each artist. This month it is ceramic, last month it was jewelry, next month it will be a mirror artist. I am open to anyone who approaches me or comes into the shop. It is important for me to work with other people in the community.

It’s fun to see the greenhouse from an IKEA cabinet in person.

I had to try it. Ferns and begonias are happy there. Mine is simpler than other ones I’ve seen that are so detailed. There’s also an Instagram page dedicated to him: @ikeagreenhousecabinet

Which is your favorite plant?

I love easy plants. I have a few rare plants here but I mostly leave them to the rare plant experts. I really like Hoya right now and the way they backfire. I can’t wait for them to bloom.

What sets your shop apart from others?

I think it’s the atmosphere and the energy that we take out. I want it to feel like a neighborhood shop where we can chat and interact with people. So I have a couch in the shop – people can come in, sit and relax if they feel like it.

People have told me the store is good because it really feels like home here. This helps them visualize how things are looking in their home.

What do you see when you look ahead?

I would love to start doing workshops again. I know people want to do Plant 101 and Plant Propagation, but I don’t have enough space.

My dream is to make room for a small nursery. I want to open another store.

An astrologer told my mom that I’d be handling the restaurant in five years, so I’m going with that prediction.