Saba celebrates 20 years of Thai hospitality
Twenty years after opening its doors on Clarendon Street, award-winning Thai and Vietnamese restaurant group Saba is celebrating two decades of great food, lively hospitality and bringing people together.
The Saba story began with a friendship between Paul and Thai chef Taweesak Trakoolwattana, affectionately known as Tao
What started as one Dublin restaurant has grown into a thriving Irish food business, with three restaurants, three Saba To Go takeaways, two food trucks serving festivals and events nationwide, a retail partnership with Dunnes Stores through its Simply Better Thai food range, and the recent launch of BANAM Banana Water.
But for founder and managing director Paul Cadden, the greatest achievement isn’t the growth of the business.
It’s the people who have been part of the journey, many of whom are still with Saba 20 years later.
The Saba story began with a friendship between Paul and Thai chef Taweesak Trakoolwattana, affectionately known as Tao.
In 2006, Paul travelled to Bangkok with his father to persuade Tao to take a leap of faith and open a Thai restaurant in Dublin.
Together, they brought their vision to life.
They called it Saba, meaning “happy meeting place”, with a simple ambition: to bring authentic Thai and Vietnamese flavours, great cocktails, a buzzing atmosphere and genuine hospitality to Dublin.
Twenty years later, that philosophy remains unchanged. Paul Cadden, founder and managing director of Saba, said: “When I think back to opening Saba in 2006, I remember the excitement, the nerves and the people who believed in us.
“My father travelled to Bangkok with me, Tao took a leap of faith, and together with an incredible team, we created something special.
“Twenty years later, what makes me proudest isn’t how much we’ve grown, but the people who’ve grown with us.
“Some of our team have been here since day one.
“We’ve watched them build careers, raise families and now welcome their children into the business.
“That’s something really special.”
Family and loyalty have always been at the heart of Saba.
Today, the business employs 185 people, with many colleagues having spent much of their working lives with the company.
Paul’s brother, Alan, who is his sidekick, is director of Operations, while Josefin, who started as a waitress 20 years ago, has worked her way up to head of People.
In the kitchens, executive chef Yo has been with Saba since day one and recently won Best Thai Chef in Ireland.
The legacy of the late executive chef Tao lives on through his nephews, Build and TJ, who are both chefs at Saba.
Head chef Paek has also been with Saba since the beginning.
His son, TomTam, is now a Sous chef and recently married Cream, one of Saba’s managers.
Head chef Saek has been part of the team for nearly 20 years, alongside his wife Kia, a supervisor, while their sons, Zen and Stang, have also joined the kitchen team.
These are more than stories of long service.
They’re families building their lives around a business they helped shape, with the next generation now carrying that legacy forward.
Over two decades, Saba has welcomed generations of customers through its doors, becoming part of countless birthdays, first dates, family celebrations and special occasions.
Reflecting on the milestone, Paul added: “Hospitality has certainly had its challenges over the past 20 years, but we’ve also had so many incredible moments.
“I’m enormously grateful to our team, our loyal customers and the suppliers and partners who’ve supported us along the way.
“To think that a restaurant we opened with friends in 2006 has become part of so many people’s lives is something I’m incredibly proud of.
“And there’s still so much more we want to do.”
As Saba celebrates its 20th anniversary, the business looks ahead to its next chapter, building on two decades of Thai hospitality, new ventures and the people who have made it all possible.
Twenty years on, Saba is still exactly what it set out to be: a happy meeting place.
