Restaurant opens with authentic style and passion for community on the menu.
Right in the heart of Martin City, inside the iconic building that remains the home of RC’s Restaurant, a new venture is making mouth-watering waves – Rockin’ Wok Thai Room.
Owners Rob and Sommack Paxton are promising far more than just another sleepy Thai joint. They’ve got big ambitions, ranging from proving the exquisite quality of their Thai food to making RC’s and the building itself a one-of-a-kind destination like never before.
Sommack and Rob Paxton own RC’s Restaurant and the Rockin’ Wok Thai Room.
When we visited the Rockin’ Wok Thai Room, it had already been in business a couple of weeks, quietly ramping up and perfecting operations ahead of its official grand opening. Sommack immediately took us to her kitchen where recipes developed over ten years come together.
We watched cooks dive in as pots bubbled and steam filled the room with scents signaling you’re in the right place for some of the best Asian cuisine you’ve ever tasted. “We make a priority of hiring experienced Thai food cooks,” says Sommack, raising her voice over clanging pans and dishes. “What we make here requires a certain kind of expertise to get it just right. Some of our cooks have a very long resume.”
Rob and Sommack have been married 23 years and work closely as an operational team, but Sommack is clearly the driving force from the kitchen to the table. You find her in constant conversation with guests, greeting them with a smile and introducing them to a tradition going all the way back to her childhood in Laos, a small country that shares a border with Thailand.
“Sommack is interesting. She’s the kind of personality that attracts thousands of people on Facebook,” says Rob, eager to celebrate his wife’s nature. “She’s always warm and friendly. It’s just the way she is.”
The Rockin’ Wok Thai Room’s dining area is comfortably arranged in a precise balance of meticulous table settings and a practical, dive right in vibe. Lunch customers with limited time will appreciate getting in and out in a flash. The venue takes up the entire second floor, including a bar. Rob’s busy finalizing splashy new signs and he says new flooring is in the works.
Long-time RC’s fans will welcome a rediscovery of the familiar. New customers will enjoy exploring another unique Martin City restaurant atmosphere.
A Long Road of Culinary Smash Hits.
Rob and Sommack Paxton are no strangers to the restaurant business. They abandoned long, successful careers in the tech industry back in 2014 to pursue a passion for doing Thai food better than ever.
Their journey began with the opening of Thai Basil in Bentonville, Arkansas. Since then, they’ve ventured into various other establishments, including Thai Thai Cuisine in Branson, Missouri, and the high-volume Thai House near Kansas City’s Waldo neighborhood.
Sommack says buying RC’s Restaurant and the entire building at 330 East 135th Street marked a strategic move to also introduce Thai cuisine in a neighborhood already famous for amazing food, but missing a Thai touch.
“It’s a new concept locally with easy access for people in Martin City, Leawood, Red Bridge and other surrounding communities. This will be the place to get your Thai food fix without compromising.”
The Paxtons’ restaurant business success includes carving a wildly successful delivery and takeout niche from here to Arkansas. We’re told Thai House up the road at Holmes and 99th Street stands as one of DoorDash’s largest partners. And Sommack proudly points out that at least three of her Bentonville recipes ranked in the top ten most delivered foods on DoorDash in Northwest Arkansas.
Dishes that delight, all the way down to the Thai Lo Mein.
What’s her secret? An unusual devotion to high-quality ingredients in authentic recipes – something that’s become the envy of other Thai restaurants. Like all of the Paxtons’ Thai locations, the Rockin’ Wok Thai Room prides itself on using ingredients shipped directly from Thailand.
For example, real tamarind and fish sauce take precedence over substitutes like vinegar. The sauces, crucial to Thai cuisine, are crafted here from scratch through a finely-tuned multi-step process that can take as long as three days. The result is a level of authenticity that delights even the most experienced Thai cuisine connoisseur.
“Honestly, Thai food ingredient products easily available around here are just not as good as those we import from Thailand. I want to serve authentic Thai. We are committed to superior food, so we have no choice but to import key ingredients. It’s far more expensive, but the taste sets us apart and that’s worth it.”
Building on a Legacy to Create a Bigger Martin City Destination.
The decision to move into Martin City stemmed from conversations with former, long-time owner David Van Noy. When the son of Martin City restaurant pioneer R.C. Van Noy decided to retire, he didn’t want to sell his establishment to just anyone. He was looking for a commitment to continuing RC’s tradition, from the sacred fried chicken recipe loved by generations, to the waffles that wake you up like a rooster after sleeping in on a Sunday morning. Rob and Sommack Paxton were the perfect match.
“I feel really good about handing off to the Paxtons,” David told us last March just after the sale of RC’s was complete. “I truly believe they are determined to maintain my family’s tradition and run RC’s Restaurant in a way that keeps local families coming back just as they have for so long. I couldn’t be more excited about how this worked out and their plans for the future.”
Happily retired David Van Noy (left) drops by for lunch.
“We are sticking with the RC’s everyone knows and loves,” says Rob. “David Van Noy’s family built it from the ground up and we’re keeping it going. We’re simply exploring additional ways to attract additional customers to the building.”
“I love the fact that RC’s has been here for so long,” adds Sommack. “I love that word, ‘legacy.’ I’ve met so many people who come in and say things like, ‘I first came here when I was six!’ and ‘I celebrated my 18th birthday here!’ It’s been here over 50 years and we want to keep it going for another century or more. That’s our intention.”
Same stick-to-your-ribs fried chicken remains the star attraction at RC’s on the first floor.
When the Paxtons looked around upstairs for the first time, the wheels in their heads started turning. They immediately started planning to build on RC’s legendary reputation to revitalize the space, which has seen little action since closing during the pandemic.
Their goal is to breathe new life into the entire building by introducing Thai cuisine to expand their customer base, and focusing on live entertainment that unites fans of both restaurants.
“I mean look at this place,” exclaims Sommack, showing us around. “It’s a huge space and don’t you just love this classy little stage? We’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
“We saw as much potential upstairs as we did in RC’s on the first floor,” Rob remembers, walking with us through the building. “It’s so unique and wide open. We want to make the most of every inch.”
From one man bands to classic rock groups, RC’s is back as an entertainment venue.
So how does all of this work together from a customer standpoint? You can walk into RC’s Restaurant or swing by for takeout just as you always have. Accessing Rockin’ Wok Thai is just as easy. Enter through the front door and ascend the stairs, or drive around to the back for direct access to the second floor.
Upstairs, the main Thai restaurant menu and table service concludes around 9pm. On many nights, the space will transition to a lounge atmosphere as musical acts take the stage and staff break out the pool balls and darts. Thai food bites and traditional bar food from RC’s will be available.
You can expect flashy college and pro game day events with big screens for crowds, especially on weekends. Keeping up with the schedule is probably the best reason to follow Rockin’ Wok Thai on Facebook.
“The space is perfect for big events and we’re already booking so many of them,” says Rob, showing us his calendar. “Just after we opened our doors, a group of former Chiefs players from the first championship era hosted a party here. Everything was just perfect.”
The right place for even a Chiefs-size event.
Put it all together and you’ve got the ingredients of an exciting new era inside a landmark Martin City building poised to soar to new heights. The Paxtons really, really want to go big, not just for their own benefit, but for the good of the neighborhood they’ve heard so much about.
“I am constantly thinking, what can we do to help Martin City be all it can be?” says Sommack, looking over 135th Street from Rockin’ Wok Thai Room’s east balcony. “I want more people to come to the neighborhood and just enjoy hanging out, and I believe our role is providing good food, live entertainment and fun events for all kinds of crowds.”
It’s important to recognize that big ambition here comes at a big price upfront. The Paxtons are pouring a lot of their own money into reinvigorating the property and investing in their strategies for success. They seem to already be reaping rewards in the warm reception they’ve received from the Martin City community. Early customer feedback and rave reviews online are feeding their momentum.
Rob and Sommack are fully aware that our neighborhood is in the midst of a renaissance, and there is no doubt that they are taking their role seriously. We are grateful for their passion, and we look forward to watching (and tasting) another exciting turn in Martin City’s long, rich history!
