Four Areas for Success

Six years ago, Sam Szeto found himself discussing the success of P.F. Chang’s restaurant over dinner with Martin Yan. The secret to P.F. Chang’s success, the two decided, is that the restaurant knows what Americans want. P.F. Chang’s has met American tastes and preferences in cuisine, décor and service so successfully that they are now a nationwide chain.

So, when Szeto decided that he was going to open a Chinese restaurant, he took the time to do some research on American tastes. He asked American friends about what they would like to see in a Chinese restaurant.

“They gave me four areas,” Szeto reported: delicious food, great service, ambiance and cleanliness. According to Szeto, many of the people he asked “complain that Chinese cooking is fine, but they pay less attention to ambiance and sanitation. The servers don’t speak English.”

With this information in hand, Szeto set out to create his restaurant with a goal of “authentic taste and classy presentation.”

Szeto was determined to cover the four areas his American friends had recommended. The décor steered away from anything too predictable or traditional, and the result is that the ambiance at Dragon Wok feels cozy and unique. Colorful umbrellas hang from the ceiling, lit from above like lanterns. Touches like this give the dining room a modern, elegant feel while still retaining an Asian flavor, fulfilling Szeto’s goal of classy presentation.

Szeto also took steps to ensure that his staff provides excellent service to customers. All of the servers are fluent in English to ensure smooth communication, and the staff keeps the restaurant sparkling clean. Szeto often informs elder customers when the best time to dine in is, so that they can avoid wait times during busy hours.

The menu incorporates dishes from Cantonese, Szechuan, Mandarin and Hong Kong cuisines.

“These days, you have to have more than one cuisine,” Szeto explained. “One customer likes mild Cantonese, another one likes spicy Szechuan. Different people like different things.”

Twelve chef specialties are available at Dragon Wok. Popular choices include the General Spicy Chicken and the Double Dragon: a delicious concoction of lobster tail, shrimp and vegetables. Many traditional dishes such as Beef with Broccoli are also available for customers who are looking for their old favorites.

Dragon Wok also offers an extensive beverage menu, so customers can find something that goes well with the dish they’ve chosen.

“Tea and iced tea are best with Cantonese food, and beer goes well with Szechuan food,” Szeto said. Wine, cocktails and soft drinks are also available.

The consistency of the food is a major concern of Szeto’s. It is his belief that if a customer tries a new dish at Dragon Wok and loves it, he or she should be able to come back any time and have exactly the same dish. Szeto goes to great lengths to ensure that his chefs prepare exactly the same recipes every night. Chefs are not allowed to modify any of the recipes. Many of the recipes are kept secret even from much of the staff, so that the flavors of Dragon Wok are unique and can’t be found at any other restaurant.

In February 2004, the Dragon Wok Restaurant opened in Gilbert, Arizona. Although business was slow in the beginning, the news began spreading by word-of-mouth, and Szeto’s careful research was rewarded as Dragon Wok soon became a local favorite. Szeto says that over the past four years, their customer base has grown very fast. Dragon Wok is often the location of choice for customers celebrating birthdays or anniversaries, while parties larger than 30 people can choose to have Dragon Wok cater for them. Local firefighters, city council members and policemen are all frequent customers.

Szeto also explained that his restaurant is popular with “winter visitors”—wealthy retirees who come to enjoy the temperate winter weather of Arizona.

“Winter visitors travel all over the world, and they want only the best food,” Szeto said. “Money is no object to them. They bring us a lot of business.”

Often, winter visitors have one last meal at Dragon Wok at the end of their trip, and the restaurant is their first stop when they return the next year.

“We have a big draw in our area,” Szeto said.

Some of their customers travel all the way from Phoenix, which is 30 miles away. They give regular customers that come from far away an extra appetizer for coming so far. Szeto theorized that many restaurants draw local customers because of their convenience, but Dragon Wok draws customers from far away because of their consistent freshness.

When asked about the most rewarding aspect of running a restaurant, Szeto unhesitatingly mentioned his customers. Even though Dragon Wok has so many customers, Szeto places a priority on fostering personal connections with them.

“At Dragon Wok, everyone becomes part of our family,” he said.

Szeto estimates that he knows 40 percent of his customers by name because so many of them come in at least once a week. During Christmas, Szeto and his wife even receive flowers and gifts from customers.

Customers sometimes give suggestions for improvements in the food. Consistent with his philosophy of making a restaurant that meets local tastes, Szeto does everything in his restaurant based on customer feedback. For example, occasionally they will sample new sauces to as many as 100 people.

“We’re very democratic,” he said.

It would seem that Szeto’s research and efforts to design a restaurant that appeals to Americans has him now living on easy street. But Szeto insists that he is not at all planning to rest on his laurels.

“We’re great but we have a lot of room to improve,” he said.

He has received many offers from builders and landowners who are fans of Dragon Wok to open new, bigger locations. Szeto said that “because right now the economy is so bad, I’m not really in a rush. But if a good opportunity comes along, we may consider it.”

Other customers, however, have a different opinion.

“I don’t mind building a bigger, different location, but the customers say, ‘Sam, I don’t care how big you get, don’t go anywhere!’” Szeto chuckled.

Other Chinese restaurateurs would do well to follow Szeto’s example in attempting to understand and meet the needs of a restaurant’s client base.

“You have to see what Americans want and build from there,” said Szeto. “I know what Americans want and I know what the Chinese are capable of, and I try to integrate the two.”

Dragon Wok Restaurant

727 W. Ray Rd.

Gilbert, AZ 85233

Phone: (480) 782-6889