A passion for Thai food that started 18 years ago in Billings has catapulted Roger Vanlandingham into his latest business venture — starting Sriracha Thai Wok in Kalispell.

The restaurant opened recently in the former Cafe Max Soup Co. space next to the Blue Cow Car Wash.

“It’s going pretty good. People seem reasonably happy,” Vanlandingham said.

In addition to his tried-and-true pad Thai, red curry and other Thai favorites, Sriracha offers mix-and-match bowls that give diners the choice of protein, vegetables, sauce, rice and spice levels.

“This concept came from people wanting more choice in what they consume,” he said. “It’s fast-casual. Folks like that setting and the choice.”

While take-out orders are hugely popular, Vanlandingham said he’s been pleased with the number of dine-in customers as well.

“We have a great young man running the kitchen and a good staff,” he added. He employs 15 people.

Vanlandingham, 57, has spent the better part of the last two decades in the restaurant business, but he began his career as a software developer who provided computer applications for cities, counties and schools. He was a minority stockholder in United Software Technology and served as president of the corporation for a few years before he switched careers.

A meal at the Thai Orchid would change his life.

“I stumbled upon this Thai restaurant in Billings in 1997. My girlfriend and I went there, then I began eating there so often I befriended the owner,” he recalled.

Vanlandingham offered to help out when the restaurant wasn’t busy — to learn more about Thai cooking — and one day got the chance to get in the kitchen and work at one of the woks. He held his own, so the owner, “Lex,” said yes, he would teach “a white guy” how to cook Thai food.

“I did it as a hobby,” Vanlandingham said. “But I took it seriously and cooked with him for the better part of a year.”

Cooking gave a means to escape the pressures of his high-tech job, and he loved the therapeutic effect of focusing exclusively on the food in front of him.

Vanlandingham knew he was hooked on cooking when he ditched a friend’s invitation to play golf so he could pull a shift at the Thai Orchid.

His stint at the Billings restaurant went another two years and included a trip with Lex to Thailand, where he stayed for a couple of months to further hone his cooking skills.

Vanlandingham then veered back into software development for three months in 1998 to work on a trade project in China. When he returned to the United States, he headed to the Flathead Valley and was the sous chef at Bridge Street Gallery in Bigfork in the late 1990s.

He bounced around in the restaurant business, working at The Rex in Billings from 2000 to 2004, then heading back to the Flathead to open Mackinaw Grille in Somers. There were a few other short-lived restaurant ventures, but for the past seven years Vanlandingham has been the chef at Tamarack Brewing Co. Alehouse and Grill.

Sriracha Thai Wok is the culmination of Vanlandingham’s addiction to both the restaurant industry and Thai food. One of his signature dishes, Thai Orchid Beef, is a nod to the place that changed his career path.

Sriracha Thai Wok is located at 20 Commons Way next to the Blue Cow. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Call 890-2611.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.