Between the sound of forks scraping and spoons clinking against plates is the warm buzz of chatter—one young boy points excitedly at the cartoon he recognizes while another couple reads over the quotes lining the walls, laughing occasionally at the humorous messages. The restaurant is aglow under bright lights, illuminating the hundreds of toys lining the walls—everything from Pez Dispensers to Jack in the Box to plush Beanie Babies. A steaming hot plate of crispy pad thai, one of Cozy’s classic dishes, is placed down in front of an eager customer.
Cozy Noodles and Rice, though most commonly known as simply ‘Cozy,’ has been a staple within the Evanston community for almost twenty four years. Originally opening in June of 2001, the restaurant has garnered much love and appreciation for its eye-catching decor and authentic Thai cuisine.
“‘Cozy’ is easy to remember,” said co-owner Bee Nanakorn. “Cozy is a name that people and customers can recall and recognize easily.”
Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Nanakorn had a different plan for her career—she studied in both Melbourne, Australia, and Nîmes, France to achieve two masters degrees in both hotel management and tourism. She ended up in Chicago to be with her sister, where she was encouraged to apply for part-time work. But working at Cozy soon became Nanakorn’s first, and only, job. She began as a waitress promptly after their first opening but quickly joined chef/owner Yee Muenprasittivej as co-owner.
“No one thinks you’re going to sell food for the rest of your life,” Nanakorn said. “But the more I do it the more I feel like it’s not about a job, it’s about the relationship between me and the customer. We become a friendship, not just the server and the customer anymore.”
September of 2024 was thought to be Cozy’s last month in business. Due to increasing rent prices, the cost of keeping the storefront at 1018 Davis Street would shortly become unmanageable if they chose to stay. Nanakorn and Muenprasittivej were unsure of how to proceed—the process of rebuilding would be arduous and uncertain. But due to the immense support from the community, Cozy was able to relocate just a few streets over, on 1741 Maple Avenue.
“At first we wanted to redo the restaurant in downtown Chicago, but I realized after I started to say goodbye to customers that if we were gonna start over there, it would be the most difficult thing. We know no one—and no one knows [us],” Nanakorn said. “But here, everyone knows us, and we know everyone.”
The support amassed from Evanston residents and visitors alike made the rebuilding worth it, says Nanakorn. Through the efforts of the community—which even involved contacting Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss—and the determination of both Nanakorn and Muenprasittivej, Cozy held its soft reopening on Tuesday, March 4th. They are now back full time, from 11:30-2:30 pm and 4:30-8:30 pm, Tuesday through Sunday.
“Either the new customer or my regular, every time I see everyone, it seems like I see my family,” Nanakorn said. “It’s a million miles away from home, but you guys don’t make me feel far away from home. You guys make us feel welcome. We are lucky that all the kind people in Evanston gave us a second chance to return to our business again.”
Many of Cozy’s iconic toys and memorabilia were able to move with the restaurant, with new additions like cartoon books and spinning Beanie Baby fixtures. Though the most obvious difference remains the relocation, subtle adjustments have been made to the restaurant through its décor, furnishings and appliances. Nanakorn aimed to create a warmer, more comforting environment in their new storefront through these changes.
“The atmosphere in the restaurant has changed. Not much, since you will see many items in the restaurant have been brought from the other restaurant, but some of them, if you can recognize, are all new items that’ve been added to it,” Nanakorn said. “I just want this restaurant to feel more comfortable. When you see the lights, the colors, it looks like home. That’s what I feel.”
Since its first opening, and throughout all of its challenges, Cozy and its staff have remained a beloved part of Evanston. Evanston resident Kay Min affirms that small businesses like Cozy are vital to a city like Evanston, which makes their addition to the community, and their decision to remain open, all the more important.
“For Cozy to be in business for twenty four years is a testament to their hard work and loyalty,” said Min. “A lot of customers have been waiting faithfully for their re-opening,” she added. “And we weren’t disappointed.”
Nanakorn attests to the importance of community in supporting Cozy over the past two and a half decades, especially following their relocation. Without the help of both loyal customers and Evanston residents, Cozy would not be the restaurant that it is today.
“The most important [thing] is that we could not have come this far, almost twenty five years, without the support of the people in Evanston,” Nanakorn said. “And I just want to say thank you to everyone. I want to show them how appreciative I am for them. There’s nothing more I can say.”
