AROY Thai Eatery began with a family who opened a Thai restaurant in Palmerston North in 1998, before the first AROY restaurant opened on Cuba Street, Wellington in 2008. The founder, who moved to Wellington as a student in 2005, noticed a shortage of good, affordable, authentic Thai food in New Zealand at the time - many Thai restaurants were fine-dining spots with prices to match, and traditional dishes were often left off menus because ingredients were hard to find. Drawing on recipes handed down from mother and grandmother, AROY set out to make real Thai cooking accessible at everyday prices.
Today AROY is a hip, casual eatery serving fresh, healthy Thai food - creamy curries, laab (warm salad), stir fries, noodles and appetisers - alongside house-made Thai desserts and beverages, a selection of wines and both local and imported beers. The kitchen team draws chefs from different regions of Thailand, bringing a fusion of regional techniques together, with fast, hot-wok cooking used to seal in freshness and flavour for a busy, casual dining crowd.
AROY is also the parent brand behind Origami, offering Japanese-inspired sushi (made-to-order), sashimi, salads and ramen using a premium Calrose and organic black rice blend, plus a newer French and Asian-inspired patisserie line. With locations across Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Napier and Auckland's Sylvia Park, and online ordering available through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Delivereasy, AROY has grown from one Wellington eatery into a wider family of brands while keeping its original value-priced, authentic approach.