Amid soft economic conditions and ongoing uncertainty, Thai consumers have remained cautious about spending this year. The food sector, in particular, has been impacted by tighter household budgets over the past years. However, government stimulus initiatives such as the “Kon La Krueng Plus” co-payment scheme have played a tangible role in stimulating the economy and influencing consumer behavior, encouraging people to make purchasing decisions more readily. 

At the same time, the scheme has delivered clear benefits to food merchants and restaurant owners, especially small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. Many have been prompted to rethink their operating models, customer engagement strategies, and response to shifting demand. Two notable examples are eateries participating in the “Kon La Krueng Plus” program on GrabFood: “Pastabo”, a fresh pasta home kitchen in Bangkok that achieved its highest-ever daily sales, and “Mee Laph”, an authentic Isan restaurant in Ubon Ratchathani that  emerged as one of the top-selling upcountry merchants. 

Thai-Inspired Homemade Pasta “Pastabo”: Doubling Sales Growth with “Kon La Krueng Plus”

Founded in 2022 by two young entrepreneurs, Waranyu ‘Yoo’ Boonachin and Kanin ‘Non’ Watthanasuk, “Pastabo” began as a small pre-order operation producing only a few dozen boxes per day. Today, it has grown into a popular fresh pasta kitchen on delivery platforms, built around the concept of “homemade pasta at accessible prices.”

Pastabo differentiates itself through a creative fusion of Thai and Western flavors. Signature dishes such as Grilled Chicken Steak Pesto sit alongside distinctive creations like Arrabiata with fermented fish paste (plara bong), helping the brand establish a clear identity and build recognition quickly. The brand now averages more than 100 orders per day. Operating as a fully delivery-based business, Pastabo prioritizes flexibility by allowing customers to customize their orders. Insights from frequently repeated customizations are then used to develop new menu items that better reflect customer preferences.

Joining the Kon La Krueng Plus program with GrabFood marked a major turning point for the brand Throughout the program period, Pastabo recorded its highest sales since launch, with average daily revenue exceeding THB 50,000. The program not only encouraged more frequent orders from existing customers, but also attract new customers to try fresh, homemade pasta for the first time.

“Kon La Krueng Plus made it easier for customers who were already curious to place their first order”, the co-founder shared. “Being operationally ready allowed us to handle higher demand while maintaining quality, and the increase in customized orders gave us valuable insights into what customers are looking for next.”

An Authentic Taste of Ubon Ratchathani “Mee Laph”: Becominga Top Upcountry Performer Through Seamless Operations 

“Mee Laph” is a local Isan restaurant in Ubon Ratchathani founded by Narongsak ‘Jo’ Kongthim and Worakit ‘Kit’ Amparat. With a shared vision of making authentic Isan flavors more accessible while preserving their traditional essence, the founders reinterpreted local cuisine through a contemporary lens. Despite being a small restaurant in a relatively low-profile area often described as a “hidden gem,” Mee Laph has built a loyal customer base through its sincerity, attention to detail, and bold, authentic flavors.Popular dishes such as Spicy Beef Salad (Koi Sua Kua), Spicy Raw Beef Salad (Sok Lek), Spicy Duck Salad (Larb Ped), and Papaya Salad (Som Tum) continue to drive strong repeat orders. Operationally, the restaurant adopted a POS system for dine-in transactions while seamlessly integrating with GrabFood’s delivery platform. This setup improved order accuracy, reduced errors, and enabled the team to handle higher volumes efficiently.

“Sales on GrabFood have grown steadily, and during the Kon La Krueng Plus program, revenue more than doubled,” said Narongsak. “Back-end data helps us plan peak hours, manage order volumes, and prepare ingredients more effectively, allowing us to handle increased demand while keeping operations structured.”

Mee Laph’s success was further underscored by its position as the highest-selling upcountry merchant participating in the Kon La Krueng Plus program on GrabFood. A well-prepared team and a seamless system that routes delivery orders directly into the kitchen in real time enabled the restaurant to manage dine-in and delivery orders smoothly. This operational efficiency has supported continued customer growth across both offline and online channels and has encouraged plans to open a second branch in the near future.

Kon La Krueng Plus: From Short-Term Demand to Sustainable Growth

The case studies of Pastabo and Mee Laph clearly illustrate how Kon La Krueng Plus can accelerate consumer purchase decisions during critical periods. More importantly, they demonstrate how economic stimulus measures, when combined with technology-driven access through delivery platforms like GrabFood, can create meaningful opportunities for small businesses.

However, long-term success extends beyond the duration of the program itself. It depends on merchant’s readiness to manage back-end operations efficiently and to leverage data to better understand evolving customer needs. These capabilities are essential to transforming short-term demand into sustainable growth—an increasingly important advantage in today’s dynamic business environment.