XX Files: Renu Anderson — Restaurateur, Sauce Queen And Cannabis Store Entrepreneur

By Rebecca Wright

Renu Anderson

A Master Cross Promoter Catering To New-Age Customer Base

Alocal “serial” entrepreneur who owns several businesses in the area brings a taste of Thailand to the community for all to experience and enjoy.

Renu (Ray) Anderson is the operator of two restaurants — Thai Palace (Thai-Palace.ca) and Thai Time (Thai-Time.ca) — along with a line of sauces called Ray’s Original (RaysOriginal.ca).

“The food and menus at Thai Palace and Thai Time have been carefully crafted with fresh ingredients and homemade sauces,” explains Anderson who runs all businesses along with her husband Charles Anderson.

With friendly staff who care about quality and customers, you are bound to find at both restaurants the next “craving that you must have,” asserts Anderson. Plus you’ll find yourself enjoying the environment set out at Thai Palace and Thai Time, just as much as the specialty cuisine!

“The interior ambience is designed for an atmosphere that creates a warm, inviting place to enjoy amazing food with friends and family,” she describes. “And our take out is always great for those nights you just want to curl up and watch a movie in the comfort of your own home.”

Opening 14 years ago, Thai Palace is situated at 1140 Lauzon Road. Thai Time opened five years ago and is located at 3395 Howard Avenue.

There are 28 employees working between the two Windsor restaurants.

Ray’s Original has been around for 11 years and is a line of signature Thai sauces customers can purchase at either restaurant and a few local stores in Windsor.

Anderson states her sauces are a great way to enjoy her unique blends and incorporate the flavours into your own cooking at home.

Inside the Lauzon Road location of Thai Palace Renu Anderson is pictured in front of the entrance to the banquet room. Photo by Della Jones-Goulet.

But that’s not all she and Charles have on the go! They also recently opened RC Bud Shop (RCBudShop.ca), an independently owned and operated Canadian cannabis retailer.

Located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario’s wine country at 6 King Street East in Harrow, their flagship store opened in February 2021. A second location, 8061 Wyandotte Street East in Windsor, followed in July 2021.

“AtRC Bud Shopwe pride ourselves on giving our customers informative and exceptional customer service as they navigate recreational cannabis and how it works in their lives and community,” declares Anderson, adding she has eight employees working between the two locations. “And because our two stores are in residential neighbourhoods, we take on the responsibility to provide the products the neighbourhood needs, answer questions the customer might have, and show them that it’s not just the ‘high’ cannabis has been used for, but how other parts of the plants can assist them on their health journey.”

With each of the businesses, Anderson and her team are committed to being active and giving back to the community through warm clothing and can drives along with monetary donations throughout the year.

For Anderson — who has a six year old daughter with Charles named Raechel — the balance of home and work life can only happen if you have a strong support system in place.

“The staff you hire should be just as invested in the success of the business as you are, and we have been extremely blessed that we have the staff we have, in all our businesses,” she states. “With that said, every woman in today’s working force can tell you that barriers still exist, and we are always looking to break down these barriers with determination and hard work.”

Leaving legacies for the next generation of female entrepreneurs is important in all sectors.

As Anderson expresses: “My dream is that one day all women in business can stand proud and say, ‘I am a successful entrepreneur’ in their chosen fields and get the accolades they deserve without it being based on their gender or race.”

As for advice for other female business professionals, she stresses it’s important to realize everything you try may not work and there will be inevitable mistakes along the way.

“But don’t be hard on yourself,” she adds. “Learn from these experiences and move forward towards your goals!”