China Palace is Music to Your Ears

China Palace is Music to Your Ears

The only place to hear Chinese guzheng in North Port, Florida, is not at a musical hall or at the local radio station. Instead, it’s at China Palace- a unique takeout restaurant with a keen flare for the aesthetic. Situated on Sumter Blvd in North Port, the restaurant has served quality takeout food with homemade sauces since 2001. The music is only the beginning of a rich experience full of culinary and cultural delights.

Zhiqiang Chen, the restaurant’s owner, often selects Chinese music to create an authentic atmosphere that eases the customer’s mood and provides them with a worthwhile cultural experience. Sometimes Mr. Chen chooses Chinese traditional instrumental music, and sometimes he selects a more contemporary collection of pop music. Always alive with sound and smells, this 1400 square foot eatery features equally vivid decorations. The simple creamy walls are complimented by the pink counter and finally accented by four sets of sapphire-blue furniture that adorn each side of the entrance way. Enticing pictures of scrumptious dishes hang near the ceiling. Finally, a pot of emerald Lucky Bamboo is placed on the counter, a token that implies the business is blossoming, thriving and prospering.

The Lucky Bamboo seems to be working its magic, because Mr. Chen claims over 100 takeout orders on an average day, with many of the orders being placed by return customers. Mr. Chen’s rapport with his patrons is legendary, and can be considered a result of his sparkling generosity: “I always consider customers’ demands as the first priority, even [when] a few customers are pushed into a dilemma of paying for their meals, say, having forgotten to take money, in that case, I won’t haggle over every ounce, but let them go without embarrassment,” explains Mr. Chen. In other words, in order to avoid embarrassment, Mr. Chen won’t haggle over the bill with a return customer; he knows that they will repay him in kind the next time he/she visits.

Like many success stories, Mr. Chen’s business had to overcome some initial obstacles in order to thrive. When China Palace first made its footprint in this community seven years ago, like many quick-success seekers, Mr. Chen published advertisements in the local newspaper announcing his restaurant’s opening. Sadly, the result was less than he had expected. Considering his current success, what made the restaurant’s business turnaround in such a dramatic fashion? The secret to the skyrocketing sales is none other than the owner himself.

Mr. Chen credits his success with always thinking like a customer. He tries to determine what he, as a customer, would want to be offered in a restaurant. The first keyword that emerged in his mind is “quality.” He worked with his chefs to create dishes made from quality dishes that were enticing to look at and didn’t disappoint when sampled. He also believes that variety is important and so he takes it upon himself to create different tasting sauces that combine sugar, honey, vinegar, soy, ketchup and oyster sauce together. Luckily, the innovative inspirations have played a significant role in distinguishing his dishes from other restaurants and have won over hundreds of patrons.

Now more confident in his restaurant’s culinary prowess, Mr. Chen next moved on to ensuring his restaurant’s sanitation. Upon entering China Palace, you will bear witness to the dedication of the staff in preserving a strong standard of cleanliness. The restaurant’s strong commitment to details is best personified in the wall of transparent glass that patrons see when they first enter the restaurant. The glass is kept so clean that when entering, one should pay special attention or your nose will certainly kiss the glass! Mr. Chen reveals that in his restaurant, it’s a duty to all employees to clean every element of dust as long as they have time. “No one is an exception, including me. I want to accumulate less dust but more customers,” Mr. Chen claims.

His strict rule about sanitation focuses not only on the environment, but on dish preparation as well. All the ingredients in the restaurant are rinsed completely before serving. In addition, Mr. Chen installed an open kitchen in his restaurant, thereby showing the customers how the entire course is prepared and allowing customers to understand completely what they are eating.

Efficient service is also ranked as one of the top three qualities in Mr. Chen’s takeout restaurant. He boasts: “Generally speaking, an order can be finished…within ten minutes since its placement.” His customers are busy people, and he understands the importance of a quick-turnaround. American people are more time-constrained and every second means much to them. Sometimes, in a particularly busy hour, customers may have to wait a bit longer than normal to enjoy their dish. Fortunately, some of the repeat customers usually stand up to reassure these new customers that the food is being prepared as quickly as possible.

After six years in operation, Mr. Chen has developed his own philosophy on managing his restaurant: “Customer First!”

China Palace
Address: 1581 S Sumter Blvd., North Port, FL 34287-2372
Dining Style: Takeout
Cuisine: American Style Chinese Food
Capacity / Seat: 16
Year of Establishment: 2001
Phone: 941-429-1780