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ELON — Jit Lothakoun and Vonne Keobouala spent about a year running a Thai takeout eatery in Fayetteville, where Fort Bragg soldiers would line up for chicken curry and sweet tea.

But the siblings, who live in Greensboro, wanted a restaurant closer to home.
 

They opened Simply Thai in September in Timberline Station. The family-run restaurant includes a sushi bar.
 

“We’ve always wanted a nice sit-down atmosphere,” Keobouala said. Elon was what they were looking for — a small town without a lot of ethnic restaurants.
 

Lothakoun, an industrial engineer, designed and built the restaurant.
 

The restaurant has a modern feel, but the food is traditional, the owners said.
 

Simply Thai uses fresh ingredients, including locally grown vegetables and seafood delivered weekly from the North Carolina coast.
 

“We don’t use canned food or any preservatives in our meats or vegetables,” Lothakoun said. The wraps and spring rolls are made in-house, and the restaurant makes most of its own noodles from scratch.
 

Keobouala encourages diners to try sushi for the first time. She said some people think sushi is only raw seafood, although it can be ordered with fish and shellfish, or even vegetarian.
 

“You can tell our sushi chef Robert (Syvong) what you like, and he’ll put something together,” Keobouala said.
 

The restaurant offers wine and an extensive list of premium Asian beers. A patio is available for outside dining.
 

The family is from Laos, a country that borders Thailand to the north. However, the cuisine is similar, and most of the people in northern Thailand are Laotian, Lothakoun said. Lothakoun and Keobouala lived in California before moving to North Carolina. Before going into business as a contractor, Lothakoun worked for Pass & Seymour in Whitsett. Keobouala works in the human resources department at Pharmacore in High Point.
 

The family wants to build ties between the restaurant and the community, including nonprofit groups, Keobouala said.

Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at jamie.kennedy@news-record.com or 449-4610.