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ORAL HISTORY
Tom Tongumpun
The Cottage Restaurant
Born in 1947, Tom Tongumpun was raised in Bangkok, Thailand. He attended Chiang Mai University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in communications. In 1971, Tongumpun immigrated to the US at the invitation of his aunt’s American husband. He first moved to Goldsboro, North Carolina and got a job sacking potatoes. Tongumpun learned English at a local community college he attended there. He later moved to Johnson City, Tennessee.
In the 1980s, a friend convinced him to move to Memphis for a job opportunity. In Memphis, Tongumpun continued his education and earned a master’s degree in special education. He was an educator in the Memphis public school system for twenty six years before he retired and became a full-time entrepreneur. Tom noticed The Cottage Restaurant on Summer Avenue and liked both the name and appearance of the restaurant. In 2017, when the business went up for sale, he purchased it immediately. The restaurant now offers both southern and Thai food.