The Hingsts, from left, Mark, Mina and Stephen, work in the kitchen of their restaurant, Mina's Thai. The restaurant was a dream of Mina Hingst, and with the help of her family, it's come true.

James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star

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For the owners of Mina's Thai Restaurant, serving customers is a family affair.

Mina and Mark Hingst and their son Stephen dish up Thai cuisine six days a week at the eatery, which is at the River Center, North Craycroft and East River Roads.

"It is great to work with family. It is just the three of us," Mina Hingst said. "We enjoy working together. I am living my dream."

Stephen, 32, is the restaurant's chef, but he's also a craftsman. He designed and made all the tables, wood furniture and picture frames in the restaurant.

On a recent Monday evening, customers occupied five of those tables and the phone rang continuously with customers placing takeout orders.

Stephen is the head cook and Mina is the greeter and server. Stephen learned all the recipes from his mom.

"It took me two months to memorize all the ingredients. Everything is homemade and fresh. My mom grows all of our herbs, spices and most of our vegetables," he said. "One of our customers' favorite dishes is called pad Thai. It consists of fresh rice noodles, chicken, shrimp, egg, bean sprouts, and green onions in sugar lemon juice with fish sauce."

The Hingsts have applied for a liquor license and hope to receive it the end of this month.

During the week, Mark works in customer service for the civil-engineering squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, where he has worked 24 years. Weekday evenings and Saturdays find him in the restaurant.

"Our goal in two to five years is to hire help so we don't have to work so hard," Stephen said. "For now we are thankful that we can cover our bills."

Mina met Mark in Thailand

For Mina, the restaurant's namesake, the dream began in Korat, Thailand, 36 years ago. That's when she met Mark, a 19-year-old U.S. Army soldier from Burlington, Iowa, stationed in the village.

"He was so handsome and would walk by my house. I finally asked him to dinner," said Mina, who was 23 at the time. "He loved my cooking and came to dinner almost every night. Three months later we were married."

Because of Mark's age, he had to have written permission from his parents to marry. At first his folks were against it.

"I told them that I would stay in Thailand and never come home if they would not give me permission," Mark said. "They signed the permission papers. A month after we were married, Mina and I were welcomed home by my 15 siblings and mom and dad."

"The transition was easy for me," Mina said. "When I was 16, I went to work as a housekeeper and cook for an American couple stationed in Korat. They were so kind to me and taught me to speak English."

In the past 36 years Mina has traveled back to Thailand five times to visit her family.

Mark and Mina paid for her two younger brothers to come to the United States to live with them in 1980. She still has a sister and brother in Thailand. Her parents passed away a few years ago.

The Hingsts lived in Burlington for 12 years. Their three children, Lora, Stephen and Paul, were born there.

"I was an elevator operator in a local department store," Mina said. "Because I did not read and write English very well, it was hard for me to get a good-paying job. I knew I was a great cook and wanted to open my own restaurant. I started to save money, hoping one day my dream would come true."

In 1982, Mina and Mark moved the family to Tucson. "We chose Tucson because it is not too big and not too small. It was good for our kids because it is a university town," Mina said, "and we wanted warm weather."

This is second restaurant

The Hingsts opened Mina's Thai Restaurant in 1986 across from what was then known as Park Mall.

"The restaurant flourished for three years and we wanted to stay, but the rent was too high for us," Mina said. The Hingsts quickly found a new location on the corner of Campbell and Glenn and reopened the restaurant.

In 1994, the Hingsts decided to close the restaurant and buy a mobile 24-foot concession trailer. Stephen became actively involved in the business.

"I transformed the inside of the trailer to a fully loaded kitchen, including a steam table, three woks and a grill," he said.

For 12 years, the Hingsts have served their favorite Thai specialties from the concession trailer at fairs and festivals throughout Tucson.

With Stephen fully on board, the Hingst family longed to open another full-service restaurant. It took them more than a year to find the right location.

"We had a very patient real-estate agent," Stephen said. "When the three of us saw the River Center location, we knew it would be the new home for Mina's Thai." The restaurant reopened in September 2004.

Barbara and Larry Stapp have been patrons of Mina's Thai for years.

"We were thrilled when they reopened the restaurant. Mina and Stephen make sure that the dishes served are healthy. I know the food is home-grown and fresh," Barbara said. "Mina's Thai Restaurant is one of our favorite places to eat. You should try it."